Anything but Silence
by maxxbilly96
Summary: What happens when a young FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, is sent to Hannibal Lecter to talk about a new serial killer? Has Will Graham finally given up on Hannibal and returned to his teaching spot at the academy? What is Will's plan for Clarice? Is Clarice just a pawn or does he want something more? (my view of how SOTL should match the TV-show Hannibal) (Will/Hannibal/Clarice)
1. Chapter 1

Clarice was doing her daily routine at the FBI school at Quantico. She only had to run two more miles. She tried to ignore the burning feeling in her throat that she got when she was pushing herself over her limit. The academy had an excellent forest around it to run, climb or use the trees as obstacles. Although Clarice wasn't alone in the forest, she felt like she was. With just some music she could exclude all the noises and all the people around her. She'd run, and think about that she did her whole life. As she was thinking about the bad memories, she ran faster and faster, until she couldn't breathe anymore. She paused and took her earbuds out when she saw her friend Ardelia Mapp walk towards her. She smiled although she was still breathing hard.

"Planning to kill yourself with all that exercising?" Ardelia teased.

She was Clarice's roommate and best friend. Ambitious but warm, everyone else at Quantico were pricks or show-offs who bought their way in by their rich parents. Jealousy was normal between the students but not between Clarice and Ardelia, they were happy with each other's rare female company as the FBI was rather woman-unfriendly.

Clarice smiled. "You don't know what you're missing," she spoke as she stretched her legs holding onto Ardelia's shoulder. Clarice was sweaty and dirty from her run.

"You know I don't like running, there's no need to be the fittest person here, you know?" It was true, Ardelia didn't need the exercise at all, she was naturally slim. But she never let a chance go by to tease Clarice about her extreme workout.

Clarice was still bent over, gasping for air so she placed herself on a tree trunk that most of the students would use to sit on when they had a break.

"Are you gonna help me up or what?" Clarice smiled at her friend.

"You better get your ass up, Jack Crawford asked me to get you. I came across him in the hall. He wants to talk to you." Ardelia knew what effect these words would have upon her best friend.

"The Jack Crawford?!" Clarice exclaimed. Jack Crawford was the head of the BSU. Clarice had a lot of respect for the man who had solved for more than 23 cases in the past 10 years.

"That would be the one," Ardelia crossed her arms, "tell me if all the stories about him are true when he's done yelling at you." She smirked.

"Did he seem angry?" Clarice thought about the possible things she could have done wrong. Ardelia laughed.

"No, he just had that frown on his face as usual. He said that you should come to his office right away."

"Why would he need me?" Clarice got up and walked with her friend to the headquarters of the BSU department where Jack Crawford's office was. It wa slocated in the west wing of the FBI Academy where all the 'professional' people worked. Clarice hoped to work there one day. She was filled with a strange kind of excitement .

"Oh, I already know it. You probably asked too much questions in professor Graham's class, he's done with you and Crawford is kicking you out of the FBI," Ardelia giggled at her own joke.

Will Graham was a professor at Quantico and Ardelia had the biggest crush on him. He was quite the topic of conversation between the students. He was in prison for crimes he didn't commit. Some said he had killed people in self defence. All under Jack Crawford's watch. That's what Clarice knew for sure. And there was a scar on his face that made the right side of his face look like a Picasso painting. It didn't made him unattractive but in a way he looked more dangerous. He was very distant, Graham didn't look people in the eye when they spoke to him. He didn't seem to like people very much.

Clarice chuckled.

"Just kidding, Graham's too fond of you to let you kick out," Ardelia continued. Clarice hoped so because she did ask a lot of difficult questions in his class.

When they arrived at the building Ardelia waved Clarice goodbye and made her promise to tell her everything about her meeting with Jack Crawford. Clarice walked up the stairs, suddenly aware of the clothes she was wearing. Clarice was all sweaty from running her laps. 'Dress to impress' Clarice mumbled to herself. Jack's office was on the second floor. When she arrived, she softly knocked on Crawford's office. "Come in," she heard a low voice shout from the other side of the door.

Jack Crawford was sitting behind his desk filled with paperwork. His walls were grey, except one where cut outs from newspapers hang, a map and pictures of his latest case Clarice presumed. She tried to focus on the man in front of her. Jack Crawford was a black, stocky built man in his fifties. He tried to fake a smile for her but Clarice saw the exhaustion in his eyes.

"Sit down, Starling!" Clarice sat in one of his big chairs trying to not be intimidated by the man in front of her.

"You wanted to speak to me, sir?" Clarice smiled. Jack looked at a file in front of him.

"Clarice Starling. 24. You studied criminology and psychology. You've been here for 6 months. You're on the top of your class," he paused and overlooked the file "and when you graduate you'd like to come work for me. Considering your grades, that won't be a problem." He closed the file and smiled sincerely at her for the first time.

Clarice didn't expect this from the usual grumpy Jack Crawford, "I hope so, sir."

"We are trying to reopen some cold cases by interviewing some old suspects, especially the ones who are incarcerated. It's just a survey that they need to fill in." Crawford explained.

Clarice nodded, "Who's the subject?"

"Hannibal Lecter," Crawford didn't flinch twice.

Lecter was the one who worked on a case with Graham and Crawford until they found out the killer they were looking for was Lecter. Lecter and Graham. Freddie Lounds' muder husbands. Jack was a close friend of Lecter before he saw right through Crawford and sliced open his throat which he miraculously survived.

"Hannibal The Cannibal," she mumbled to him, "I'd love to do this but if I may ask sir, why me?" Clarice asked carefully wondering if she'd crossed the line of not.

Crawford's eyes seemed to have darkened when Clarice him. She was wondering why they didn't go themselves or why Will Graham didn't go over to talk to Lecter. Clarice couldn't bring up Will because that would certainly enrage Agent Crawford.

"You seem qualified for the job, this is a chance to prove yourself. Lecter is a tough one, it's better to send a new face than send someone he knows. We don't want to cut open old scars." Jack smiled sourly as if his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Will Graham recommended you to me, said you were smart and had potential. I suggest you don't mention this to the other students, keep it low-key. I will need a report of how he's doing, be observant. Is he drawing? Unusual behaviour? I'll need everything tomorrow night." There was something weird about all this. If this was just about cold cases, then why was Crawford so determined to send her. What did Will Graham see in her to make her go talk to the man who almost destroyed his life? There was something else.

"Thank you for the opportunity, sir. I'll do it, I'll make the report." Clarice tried to smile as confidentially as she could, trying not to show her distrust.

"That would be great. I'll let the Baltimore State hospital know that you will visit Lecter," Crawford seemed to be pleased that she'd agree to do the interview. Pleased that she's been doing the dirty work right? However Clarice knew this was an opportunity to prove herself to Jack Crawford.

Clarice was about to leave when Jack said; "Starling, never forget what he is. Be careful and don't tell him anything personal."

 _Don't tell him anything personal._

Jack's words echoed inside her head when she walked out of the building. She was trying about everything she knew about Hannibal Lecter. Ardelia had even read that awful book written by trash journalist Freddie Lounds. She'd better read it in case Lounds was right about some things about Lecter.

* * *

Will Graham found himself in Jack's office later that day.

"I hope you're right about this Will," Jack said.

Jack tried to make eye contact with him but Will's attention was focussed on the wall with pictures of the six girls Buffalo Bill had skinned. There was an obvious connection between these girls, they were all heavier set and had a pretty face. Will couldn't make anything of the crime scene, his pure empathy was useless.

They were dealing with a very intelligent psychopath and he needed to be caught as soon as possible before more innocent people would die. The media named him "Buffalo Bill" because he "liked to skin his humps". He's been front page news for months.

Jack walked over to him and rested a hand on Will's shoulder. Will flinched at his touch, as he's not liked being touched.

"Hannibal would like her, believe me. I know him, he'll tell her what we need to know," Will stayed emotionless as he looked at the lifeless bodies of the girls on the wall. It wouldn't take long until another girl disappears.


	2. Chapter 2

"He wants you to do what?" Ardelia hissed between her teeth. Ardelia and Clarice were sitting in the class that Will Graham was about to give. The man himself hadn't arrived yet.

Clarice had told her best friend everything that happened earlier that morning. Ardelia was just as surprised as Clarice was. Especially when she told her about the Will Graham part. Clarice didn't expect that he even knew her name. Why would he chose her to go see Hannibal the cannibal? What were they not telling her?

"So when are you going to see him?" Ardelia tried to hide her enthusiasm.

"Later this day, why?" Jack Crawford had told her to go this afternoon so she didn't have time to read the case files he had given her. She'd have a quick look at it during lunch. Clarice didn't want to skip this class, especially if she could have a word with professor Graham afterwards. He wasn't very social and knew that she shouldn't bring up Hannibal Lecter but if Clarice had to go see Lecter, Graham could give her at least some words of advice.

Ardelia wanted to say something but Graham walked in and the whole auditorium went silent. Graham had that effect on the students. He didn't look anyone in the eye and started his lesson about psychoanalysing. _When he was teaching, he seemed normal,_ Clarice thought. Well _seemed_. After a short break, Clarice closed her laptop in front of her and faced Ardelia.

"So what do you think he'll say to you?" Ardelia whispered. Clarice shrugged. "I have really no way of telling. There's something odd about this situation." Clarice told her about how Jack Crawford said that it wasn't urgent but his eyes told her that it was.

Ardelia laughed to Clarice surprise. Clarice raised an eyebrow. "Don't turn around but Graham's looking right at you," Ardelia whispered. "God, he's so yummie!"

Clarice sighed. "He better give me some damn advice before I'm visiting his freakin' murder husband who killed and ate people for a living," Clarice said sarcastically, she didn't feel comfortable knowing Graham was watching her. It was like she could feel Will Graham's eyes trough her back. Ardelia smiled and took a bite out of her apple.

"It's indeed weird that he doesn't go visit him himself. Maybe their love is over after he pushed themselves of a cliff." Ardelia said.

"Do you really think they had something going on between them? I mean romantically?" Clarice wondered. Lecter almost killed him, destroyed everything he ever had, how could he ever love a monster?

"I think so. Everyone thinks they were. I mean, I hope he's not gay cause that would be a waste of that nice-"

"Delia, please. You're not believing that crappy novel that you read, right?" Clarice was sceptical when it came to trashy journalism. Ardelia's eyes looked quickly over Clarice' shoulder. She gave her best friend the 'He's still staring, right?'-look, Ardelia nodded.

Clarice turned around and caught Will Graham's glance. He didn't turn away immediately, after 5 seconds he faced the other way. He didn't really look happy when Clarice looked into his blue eyes, he looked like he was sorry. _Sorry about what?_

After the class was over, Clarice packed her things and waited until everyone was gone. Ardelia gave her a nod when she left the auditorium. Clarice walked over to Will's desk, noticing how tense his shoulders where. He didn't look at her, but he was aware of Clarice standing a few feet away from him. He knew what she'd ask for.

"Hello professor Graham," Clarice said on a friendly tone. She saw him looking at her, trying to avoid her eyes.

"Hello Clarice," he said nervously. So he knew her name. There was an awkward silence between them.

"You recommended me to Jack Crawford," Clarice said trying to start a conversation.

Will couldn't help but feel a warm aura around the young woman.

"I just have a few questions involving.. Hann-.. the case," Clarice quickly changed her mind when she saw the muscles in Will's face clench. Will looked around the empty classroom like a wounded animal trying to flee from his predator. He needed to get out, far away from this girl.

"I suggest that you direct your questions at Director Crawford. I'm not.. trying... not to be involved in all this," his voice was trembling.

Clarice saw how Will collected his last things in a hurry and walked away before she could say anything. There was so much pain in his voice when he spoke. Clarice was now alone in the room, still trying to catch the meaning behind all this. She sighed deeply and walked to the cafeteria, trying to take a look in Lecter's case file.

* * *

She was a natural beauty, that was the only way he could describe Clarice in two words. She had vibrant eyes that seemed to look directly into your soul. She had a symmetrical face with a strong jaw line and a fair skin with light brown freckles on her cheeks. He saw a lot of Abigail in Clarice when he looked into her eyes, but Clarice was much stronger and confident than Abigail ever was.

 _Was_.

Before Hannibal had taken her from him.

Her resemblance would catch Hannibal's eye. Will was sure of that. There was something else that Will knew before he double-checked it her student profile screening that every FBI trainee had to go through before they started at the academy.

She was an orphan. Her father was a marshal, he was killed in the field when she was 8. It was the only disturbing information he could find about her. She passed all the psychological tests with ease.

Possible childhood trauma. Excellent, Will thought. Hannibal will know instantly when he sees her. And with a little push in the right direction, Hannibal will be happy to help catching Buffalo Bill.


	3. Chapter 3

Later that day Clarice went to the Baltimore Hospital for the criminal Insane. It was a 2-hour drive from the Academy to the hospital where the director would give her further instructions. As far as Clarice knew, former director Frederick Chilton, was burned alive by the Red Dragon after he said something insulting about him in the National Tattler. 95% of his body was burnt but Chilton somehow managed to survive. She wondered how he'd look like and how he'd behave because he's known to be an asshole. She was trying to hide her fear of the monster inside this building. Confidently, she walked up the steps to the gigantic door. There was a huge contrast between the grey, Victorian-looking building and the clear, blue sky.

Frederick Chilton's face was going to haunt her for a weeks, the doctors have done a marvellous job by restoring his face to a somewhat less disturbing sight. But it was still frightening to look at. His whole face was covered in skin that didn't see to belong there. Clarice knew that burn victims often get skin transplantations. It made her shiver. It was difficult to focus on what he was saying, Clarice tried to ignore his deformed face.

"Miss St _e_ rling, we get a lot of federal agents over here but I didn't recall any being so attractive?" he smirked. At least that's what Clarice thought his mouth was doing. She hated being sexualised by men. She almost felt sorry about his looks. _Maybe you deserved it, prick._ She shook his hand and ignored his comment. "It's St _a_ rling, sir, with an _a_." She noticed the way his eyes scanned over her body as if she was just a piece of meat. She never liked getting that look from guys, especially when they were as creepy as Dr. Chilton.

She listened patiently to his bragger and (not so) subtle sexual comments. "It's smart of Jack to send a young, pretty woman as you to 'turn on' Lecter. He hasn't seen a woman in years, we don't get a lot of visitors around here." Clarice nodded as she tried to hide her disinterest. He continued to brag about Lecter, Clarice tried to listed careful if she could use any of his rambling. He never mentioned Francis Dollarhyde or his face.

"How's Jack anyway? I always felt sorry on how Lecter handled his personal innuendo with him. He was as good as dead after Lecter tried to slit his throat," Clarice moved nervously on her chair at the memory of Crawford's scar in his neck. His shirt was always buttoned up so it wasn't visible at the academy but Freddie Lounds somehow managed to snap a pic and post it on her news site. Clarice wanted to open her mouth to say something but Chilton continued. _Too bad they didn't cut out his tongue. Wait, they did. She wished that the Red Dragon bit of his whole tongue and not just the top so she didn't have to hear his rambling about how rich he was._

To Clarice it was obvious that he was seeking fame in higher psychiatric circles by housing various dangerous psychopaths then attempting to rehabilitate them. He didn't saw them as his patients, but more as trophies locked behind his shining bars. "Tell Jack that when he's done protecting Will, that I have a cell ready for Graham right next to his 'Murder Husband'," Chilton finally had her full attention, "if you ask me he shouldn't be teaching you little kind but in safe hands, my hands to be exactly." He clapped his hands to change to another subject.

"Can I call you?" he said. Clarice was done with the sexual innuendo's, "You sure can, every phone call can be made to Jack Crawford between the office hours." His misshaped smile didn't fade away but he must have noticed her sass in her response. That made Clarice a little happy inside, _ain't easy being rejected, innit?_

A few moments later, Chilton and Clarice were walking through the halls of the hospital as he named up the usual procedures. "Don't touch the glass, don't get anywhere near the glass & don't give him any sharp objects," he was curt after he realised Clarice wasn't interested.

"God knows what he'll do with it… for example, 2 years ago he complained about pain in the chest so we brought him to the medical wing of the hospital. He was all tied up but when a nurse bowed over him he did this to her" he held out a photo of a young nurse with no lips and a hole where her lips should have been.

Clarice looked away. "They still managed to save her right eye," he seemed amused by scaring Clarice, "his pulse never got above 85, not even when he swallowed her tongue." Clarice gave him a look. "That's why we use a muzzle from now on when we move him." He reassured her. "Never forget what he is, Miss St _e_ rling!" Chilton mispronounced her name on purpose. "And that is?" Clarice tried not to stutter. The man looked in her brown eyes, "a monster," his face in the dim light made it all seem more scarier.

He kept up a good pace for someone in his condition, carrying his fancy cane with him "I know, sir. The FBI is not a charm school. I know the risks. I came prepared." Clarice said. "My god, I hope you came prepared, darling. Most people don't last longer than 2 minutes alone in a room with him before he gets into their head." Chilton suddenly stopped at a huge door, twirling his finger at a camera on their left, the door opened. "Here's where our ways part, miss St _e_ rling." He placed a kiss on her hand and left. _What a creep. He thought I didn't notice that he kept staring at my tits._

When she walked through another hallway, she ended at a little office with a broad, black man inside it. He smiled gently at her, when she greeted him. "I'm Clarice Starling, here to see Doctor Lecter" she said. He walked over to her and took her coat. "I'm Barney, if there's anything you need, just say it. I'll be watchin' you back here" he nodded at the security screens in his little cosy office. Barney had a warm aura around him that made her stress disappear for a while. "Did Dr. Chilton tell you to stay away from the glass?" she smiled and nodded. "He went over the whole procedure, every detail." Clarice gave him a faint smile. "Good luck, Lecter's cage is on the end of the hallway, on the left," Barney said.

 _Most people don't last longer than 2 minutes alone in a room with him,_ Chilton's words echoed inside her mind. How could he crack someone in 2 minutes. It didn't make sense at all, but he was a psychiatrist after all. All he did was seeing through people.. and eating them. She hope she could at least last longer than 2 minutes, not wanting to return empty-handed to Quantico. Then she would have failed and her chances to get in BSU would be an absolute 0.

 _This was it_ , Clarice thought. She saw the last gate open to a depressing, grey hallway with dim lights. It was like a beginning of a cheap 90's horror movie she liked to watch when she was younger. Lecter was in the 3rd cell to her left. The first cell she passed was silent and dark, too dark to see if someone was in it. She felt as if she was being watched.

The second was habituated by a skinny old man with a grey beard who stuck his head through the bars of his cell when she walked past him. "I can smell your cunt" he hissed, exposing his yellow, rotten teeth. She shivered and ignored the comment. She'd rather spend one more hour with Dr. Chilton trying to hit on her than walk past his cell again. Clarice's heart skipped a beat.

Clarice tried to focus on the last cell a few feet away from her. Now she wondered how scared professor Graham should feel if he were here, probably more scared than her. She heard the clicks of her own shoes echo down the hallway.

Clarice didn't see him at first. His cell was quite small, the dark grey bricks made his cell seem more depressing . Clarice had expected a bigger cell or something, not as depressing as this one. There was a bureau filled with lots of books and papers, and a chair with an upright backrest pinned to the ground. His bed was simple, like the patients she had met before she went to the FBI academy.

Doctor Lecter was laying on his bed, engrossed in a book. He laid down his book, Dante's Inferno, Clarice noticed. He didn't look at her as he stood up and walked to his side of the glass.

"Dr. Lecter, my name is Clarice Starling," she was happy that her voice didn't tremble, "May I speak with you?" Hannibal Lecter smiled friendly at her when she spoke, hands tucked behind his back, patiently listening to what the young woman had to say.

* * *

 _Oh Will, you know me so well_ , Hannibal thought as he smiled at her.


	4. Chapter 4

Dr Lecter was taller than she expected. His face was perfectly symmetrical, with high cheekbones and a straight, narrow nose. He had salt-and-pepper grey hair. He was wearing the same grey overall that most psychiatric patients wear. Though it was an ugly piece of clothing, he looked muscular in it. He had broad shoulders and a slim waist. He looked like he was 50-ish.

He looked like the pictures Clarice had seen of him, only his hair seemed a little more grey. She was somehow relieved that he wasn't as creepy as his neighbour. He seemed like he'd behave or she at least hoped. The only thing that made Clarice shiver were his eyes. It made her feel like he was a lion and she herself was a rabbit.

"Good evening" he said on a friendly tone. The light reflected into his eyes, making them more red than brown. His eyes seemed to glitter with intensity when he looked at her, not in the creepy, sexual way as Dr. Chilton did. Clarice took a step closer to the glass.

"Doctor, we're having a problem concerning psychiatric profiles. I wanted to ask your help."

"And with 'We' you mean Behavioural Sciences in Quantico. You are one of Jack Crawford's are you?" Dr Lecter said amused. Clarice was surprised that he knew, maybe Barney told him that. Or he _knew_.

"Yes I am." Doctor Lecter's smiled seemed to widen, revealing his sharp teeth.

"Can I your credentials please?" he asked. Clarice hesitated at first, not expecting this request. She couldn't refuse. She got her plastic badge out of her bag before she took a step closer to the glass.

"I can't read it, can you send it through, please?" he asked. _Why was her identification so damn important to him_ , Clarice thought. It wasn't a sharp object so Clarice decided to slide it through even though Dr. Chilton had warned her for his tricks. While she did this, close to him, she felt him staring through her. Doctor Lecter took her badge and held it against the light, noticing it was not a fake one.

"A trainee? Jack Crawford send a trainee to interview me?" Lecter seemed annoyed by that while he sassily put her badge back in the slider and shove it back to her.

"Yes, I'm still in training at the FBI Academy. Maybe you can decide for yourself to see if I'm qualified enough for this or not." Clarice said dryly, trying not to be intimidated by this man. She was expecting him to test her one way or another.

"Hmm, smart way of thinking," he seemed distracted, "Miss Starling, please have a seat," he pointed at the chair behind her. Clarice picked it up and placed it on a safe distance of 3 feet away from the glass. When she took a seat, he asked; "What did Miggs say to you?"

"Who?" Clarice was confused.

"Multiple Miggs, the cell next to me. He hissed something to you, didn't he?" Lecter waited patiently for her response. _He was testing her_ , she thought.

"He said 'I can smell your cunt'" Clarice was satisfied with the natural tone of her voice. There was no need to panic. Doctor Lecter seemed not happy with that answer. Was he annoyed by her response or the discourtesy of his neighbour?

"Very rude of him. What do you think of him?" Doctor Lecter started pacing around his cell. Clarice remembered lions doing that, pacing around their prey before they killed it.

"I feel sorry for him. Hostile for unknown reason for me. It's sad." He looked at the ceiling of his cell, like a distracted child.

"I like your bag, Clarice. Can I call you Clarice?" His attention was drawn back at Clarice.

"Yes."

"It's your best bag, isn't it?" he was teasing her. Clarice placed her feet carefully on the ground, preparing for whatever he was going to say.

"Yes." It was true, she saved for it and it was the best bag she owned.

"It's in better state than your shoes." Lecter snapped. _Oh here we go_ , her eyes narrowed.

"Maybe they'll get an upgrade soon."

"No doubt."

"Did you make those drawings on your wall, Dr Lecter?" Clarice looked at several beautiful drawn pictures of historical buildings, hanging on the wall behind the bureau in Dr Lecter's cell. He gracefully turned around to look at his own work.

"Is that Italy?" Clarice recognised the architecture but couldn't name the monument or exact location.

"That's Florence, the Palazzo Vecchio and the Dumeo, seen from the Belvedere. You should go there one day yourself." Lecter said while he focussed again on the young FBI agent in front of him. She was still focussed on his drawings.

"All these details just from memory, Dr.?"

"Memory is what I have instead of a view," his eyes moved quickly around his depressing cell, "my memory palace is very vast, Clarice. I'm condemned to relive old memories between the walls of this prison." _Oh boohoo, you only got your memories of murdering and eating people_ , Clarice thought. But it was somehow true, life between these prison walls under the rule of Frederick Chilton must be awful. Clarice felt as if she should hate him, but she couldn't because she wanted to understand. Clarice tried to get rid of that thought, trying to not forget what he was. A monster. She couldn't see the monster in him, or maybe not yet.

"Enough small talk, Clarice. I have a question for you." She found herself drawn back to reality to find herself looking at Dr Lecter. He stated walking around again, thinking. After a few seconds he stopped right in front the spot where Clarice was standing.

"How's Will Graham?" he looked dead-serious, but Clarice noticed the sadness in his eyes when she faced him.

* * *

Will Graham was not okay. He woke up with the usual headache he got from drinking. The man knew he had to stop drinking. Every night he didn't want to face his demons so he drank. It seemed to calm him down, until he blacked out. He'd always regret it the morning after.

He sat at the edge of his bed, overthinking his life. Will Graham hoped that after _him_ , he could return to his old life. But soon after he realised there was nothing left of the old Will. Molly and Walter were gone, Molly didn't want this life for Walter. He understood, Will wouldn't wish his life to anyone.

 _This is all I ever wanted for you, Will._ His voice still echoed through his head. _For both of us_. He hated him so much. Here he was all alone, his family and friends gone. Alana called every now and then, feeling guilty about his current _state_. Her son was 7 now, she spoke often about him. Will was truly happy for Alana and Margot. She got out and still had her life together.

It got better when he started teaching again, but Jack thought that meant that Will was back to assist him. That was not true. He was done and wanted to stay as far away from the field as possible. Will tried, he really tried.

Trying to forget Hannibal was impossible. Will's heart started beating harder when he thought about him. _It's beautiful,_ Will remembered the waves hitting the rocks. He heard his heartbeat in his ear. Try to calm down, Will told himself. PTSD, the doctors called it. However, it was more than that. He refused to see any therapist, Will didn't need someone inside his head again.

Then, a new serial killer had to be stopped. Will knew when Jack Crawford stood in the hallway waiting for him after he finished his lecture. Just like old times.


	5. Chapter 5

_How's Will Graham?_

Clarice panicked. Don't tell him anything personal, Jack Crawford had told her. But what about Will? She decided to tell the truth, because he wouldn't cooperate if he noticed she was lying. _Don't lie Clarice, he'll know._

"I don't really know him." Clarice didn't sound very confident. She didn't know much about him, only the rumours.

"Are you telling the truth?" Hannibal asked with an unflinching determination in his eyes.

"Yes. I don't know him personally. He teaches Psychoanalysing at the FBI Academy. I'm in his class, but he talks _to_ us, never _with_ us. Professor Graham doesn't seem to like us. He recommended me to Jack Crawford, I don't know why." Clarice tried to calm down, she felt anxious talking about Will Graham.

"Thank you for your honesty, Clarice." Lecter closed his eyes. He looked like he was trying to remember something. "So Will wanted us to meet," he said more to himself than to her.

"I don't know why Mr Graham didn't came himself. I wondered but I didn't ask him. He refused to talk to me for some reason," Clarice said with a low voice, looking at her shoes. When she looked up, she found Lecter staring at her. His expression unreadable.

"Busy with Buffalo Bill, I suppose." _We both know you are lying Dr. Lecter,_ Clarice thought. _He didn't want to see you, didn't he?_

Lecter thought about Will, he'd think about him later. When he was alone. Now he wanted to find out what the little bird wanted from him, or more specific: what Will and Jack wanted.

"I suppose," she replied.

"No you came here to ask me about Buffalo Bill didn't you. Do you think you could mislead me, Clarice? Jack Crawford wants to catch him but he can't. Even Will can't. So Jackie boy send me his new protégée who still has to learn so much." Lecter smirked.

"No," Clarice replied dryly, "it was my job to let you fill in this questionnaire." Clarice realised it might have been this. Jack Crawford didn't give a damn about Lecter's profile, he wanted information about the Buffalo Bill case. _Son of a bitch._

Dr. Lecter seemed disappointed, "what do you know about him?"

"We don't know much, sir." It was true. They had no clue who he was. He seemed to be way smarter than the usual serial killer.

"Was everything in the papers?" Dr. Lecter made a gesture at the papers on his desk.

"I think so. I haven't seen the file. It's my task to-"

"How many women has he taken?" Lecter asked.

"Six."

"All skinned?"

"Partially, yes," Clarice thought about the poor girls waiting for their death, killed by a madman.

"Buffalo Bill. Tasteless name, don't you think? I'd bet he hates the name you gave him. Wouldn't you?"

"I'll admit that 'Hannibal the Cannibal' sounds way more catchy," Clarice's patience was running out. Doctor Lecter noticed that.

"Put through the questionnaire." Clarice was surprised, maybe he was going to cooperate. She got the little pack of baby blue papers out of her bag and shoved it to him. He looked through it. Dr. Lecter raised an eyebrow at her.

"Listen? Agent Starling," He threw the papers away, "do you think you can dissect me with this?" He seemed angry and stepped closer to the glass. Clarice was seeing a glimpse of 'Hannibal the Cannibal', the monster he really was.

"You're so ambitious, aren't you, Miss Starling? You know what you look like to me with your fancy bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a little, desperate child trying to get higher up in life. Good nutrition and training has given you some strength, but you're nothing more than one generation from poor, white trash. That accent you're trying so desperately to hide, it's pure West-Virginian. What did your father do for a living? Was he a coal miner? A farmer? Is he proud of you of getting into the FBI? Especially as a pretty, young girl in the FBI, you wonder if they appreciate your knowledge of your looks? Well, I'll guess it's the second."

Clarice shivered, it was true. All of it. His words cut through her like a knife. It made her angry, she opened her mouth before she could overthink what she was going to say.

"You know what, Dr. Lecter? You're right, it's all true. I won't deny it but I graduated top of my class at UVA, Doctor. At 23 years-old I'm a certified special agent for the FBI. Oh and you can sneer all you want from where I came from but I worked damn hard to get where I'm standing today. So, I'll deserve some goddamn respect." She hissed at him. She was out of breath when she finished. She realised her face was only a few inches away from his.

"You see a lot, Dr. Lecter. But are you strong enough to point that perception at yourself? Look at yourself and write down what you see. Or maybe you're afraid to," Clarice whispered. She realised how close he was but she didn't want to take a step back first. He could reach out to her if the glass didn't separate them from each other. Her face was still filled with anger.

Doctor Lecter slowly clapped in his hands. "I bet you're quite interesting to know in real life, Clarice" he smirked seductively. Dr. Lecter was amused by this fury of his. _Will, you've sent me someone very special._

"I don't find you that interesting, Dr. Lecter," Clarice said.

Lecter smiled as if she'd said something funny. That's what Will had said when they first met. She would be. Soon.

"Do you know what day it is?" Lecter hummed.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's going to be Valentine's day very soon. I could make you very happy on Valentine's Day, Clarice."

Clarice raised an eyebrow at his words.

"I'm going to send you a half pair of lovers. Goodbye Agent Starling," He winked at her before he retreated in his cell and dimmed his lights so he could no longer be seen.

Clarice felt empty all of a sudden. Like she had given blood. Clarice sat her chair against the wall where she had found it. When she walked away she thought about Miggs in the cell next to Lecter's. Clarice decided to man up, it's just a 20-feet walk from here to the gate.

"I bit my wrist so I can diiiieeee!" she heard the voice belonging to Miggs whisper. Clarice wanted to call Barney but instead she looked at Miggs. "See how it bleeds?" he yelled.

The dark figure suddenly flung his palm towards Clarice and she felt spatters in her face and neck. She knew that it wasn't blood but pale droplets of semen. Clarice stopped and touched her wet cheek. Miggs was laughing like a maniac. Stunned, near to tears, Clarice forced herself to straighten up and walk on.

"Agent Starling" Dr. Lecter yelled from behind her. _You can fuck off_ , she thought.

Clarice fumbled in her pocket, searching for a tissue.

"Agent Starling, come back." There was an new undertone in Dr. Lecter's voice. He sounded very agitated. Clarice walked back to Lecter. He seemed outrageous when he saw her.

"This better not be the Valentine gift you were talkin' about?" she said sarcastically.

"No, discourtesy is unspeakably ugly to me. I'll give you what you want." He said seriously.

"The questionnaire?" Clarice suggested.

"No, something better. Valentine's day gave me the idea. Look for _Raspail's car_ , you'll find your Valentine in there. Now go. Go." Clarice paid attention and left by nodding at him. The last thing she saw was Dr. Lecter –still furious about what had had happened to her- retreating into darkness.

* * *

"Precious, come here," a high-piched voice said. Moments later a fat poodle ran to his owner as fast as his short, little legs could go. The owner gently picked up the while little furball and petted his head listening to a 80' pop song.

The long man was only wearing a red satin pyjama pants, showing off his muscles. He walked around the dark room with little electric blue lightning, the little dog close to his chest. He stopped at a one of the big wire cages, the insects inside made a buzzing noise. It was a gruesome place. There were a few polaroid pictures pinned to the brick wall of the man with few clothes on, sometimes alone, sometimes with other almost-naked man with lots of make-up on.

He sat down on a small crutch where he picked up some paper drafts of a woman's dress. He was obviously an experienced drawer, the dark figure looked at the mannequin. "Isn't she marvellous, Precious?" he placed a soft kiss on top of the poodle's head.

"HELP ME" the young woman yelled. It made the dark figure grimace. Jame put Precious the dog down, it ran away immediately to the yelling girl in the next room. He was trying to focus on the music, mumbling the lyrics while sewing 2 pieces of fabric together.

"HELP ME, SOMEONE PLEASE." Jame seemed to be highly irritated while he put on his night goggles. The girl's screams continued. He put on a matching red robe and walked towards the noise.

Precious the dog was barking happily in response of the girl's whining looking at his owner who was walking towards the pit. Jame looked into the pit at the crying plus sized girl. He pulled a .44 Magnum out of the pocket of his satin robe and shot Fredrica Bimmel through the head. In that exact moment _Jame felt reborn_.


	6. Chapter 6

Clarice Starling was exhausted when she left the Baltimore State Hospital. She had shed a single tear inside her old Pinto. She cried, yelled and hit her steering wheel in a wave of pure aggression. It was for her a way to lose all frustration.

As Clarice drove home, she thought about Lecter's 'Valentine's gift': _Raspail_. Clarice remembered. As far as the young woman knew, he was a former patient of Dr. Lecter and one of his victims. It would be past midnight when Clarice was back at her apartment. There was no chance there would be any sleep tonight, she had to start working on her report about Lecter. She had time but ambitious as Clarice was, she wanted to finish is at soon as possible.

Benjamin Raspail was a 46 year-old flutist in the Baltimore Philharmonic Orchestra. He was registered as a patient of Dr. Lecter. Four years ago he didn't show up for a rehearsal, three days later he was found on a bench in front of a church. Dead. Autopsies showed he was missing several organs. The homicide department of Baltimore was convinced that these organs were served at one of Dr. Lecter's fancy dinner parties.

Clarice her report was ready the next morning. She almost fell asleep on the chair she was sitting on when her roommate Ardelia Mapp walked in. She noticed the dark circles under Clarice's eyes.

"What have you been up to, girl?" she asked her. Delia always asked questions as if the responses weren't important.

"Fumbled around with a crazy guy until he ejaculated in my face," Clarice teased. _Well, it was true after all._

"Oh you lucky girl, I wished I had your life," Ardelia started laughing. Her laugh made Clarice smile even though she felt dead inside. Delia saw it and hugged her before Clarice's maniacal laughter changed into loud sobbing.

* * *

Will Graham walked into Jack Crawford's office, it was 9 AM. Jack looked tired and not in good mood, Will had learned quite fast that he better remained silent when Jack was in a mood like this. Graham was looking at the board with all the pictures and information they knew.

After a minute Will spoke up, "Anything new?"

"Nothing new, no clue, nothing Will," Jack sighed. Will was curious about Clarice, the trainee that went to see Hannibal.

Jack was almost reading his mind, "He talked." Will's heart skipped a beat. _Offcourse he did, I know him._

* * *

Clarice had delivered her report to Jack Crawford. All she could do was wait for his response. Clarice wanted to get some rest before she'd collapse on the floor. After a few hours of sleep, Clarice woke up to the sound of her ringing phone. Disoriented as she was, she almost tripped while getting it.

"Hello," her voice was hoarse. She didn't recognise the number on the screen.

"Starling, I got your report," his voice was very loud. She felt more awake when she realised who was on the phone.

"I need you in my office right now," Jack Crawford stated.

"Yes, sir. I'll be there right away." Clarice worry started to grow.

"Good," with that single word he hung up on her. Her words worried her, was the report not good enough? He sounded quite mad at the phone. She panicked.

Clarice rushed over to put on some decent clothes before heading to the BSU at the FBI Academy. There seemed to be more people at the BSU wing than yesterday morning. She heard arguing when she knocked on the door of Jack Crawford's office.

"Come in," she heard Crawford yell.

Jack was standing behind his desk with his fists on the edge of it. Will Graham was standing on his left side, looking out of the window. He didn't look up when she entered. _Fuck, I'm in big shit trouble_ , Clarice's first thought was. Jack looked angry, it was obvious that he had an argument with Will, who 'didn't want to get involved'. She stood a few feet away from Jack's desk, hoping he wasn't going to yell at her.

"Starling, I got your report," he started. He seemed to calm down a bit. Professor Graham was still looking outside, like a stubborn four-year-old. She nodded. "It's good, it is exactly what we wanted," Jack said. Graham turned his head a little.

"This job wasn't all about reopening old cases right. It was about Buffalo Bill, right?" she knew because Lecter had told her. Will sighed.

"We had to lie to you because he'd known instantly if we had sent you out there with a real mission," Jack admitted. Clarice hid her disappointment, she hated lies.

"Well, he knew," she said softly.

"Hannibal mentioned Raspail?" Will asked her. He finally looked at her, not really at her but in her direction. His name on his lips seemed so unnatural to Clarice. Clarice nodded.

"You think it was a hint, him playing around with all this Valentine crap?" Crawford asked her.

"I don't think he was playing around at all, sir," Clarice said while looking at Jack and then Will.

Crawford looked at Will. It looked like that was the subject they were arguing about earlier on. Will sighed again and looked away.

"I want you to sort this thing out from the bottom. Off the record," Jack said to Clarice before facing the man behind him, "and you're going to work with her, Will. I need you back in the field. Please."

The disturbed FBI profiler looked at the wall with the pictures of Buffalo Bill's victims and looked at Clarice. "I don't have a choice, do I?" he asked.

"No you don't," Jack had no mercy for Will.

"I'll do it," he said with a sad tone. Jack looked pleased. Clarice wondered if Jack could sleep at night knowing that he had ruined Will's life and was still continuing that process.

"This is a great opportunity, Starling. Treat is as such. You handled yesterday perfectly, I'm expecting you to continue that standard," Jack said, obviously excited with the last change of plans.

"Yes. Thank you, sir." Clarice said, confused inside about what was going to happen from now on. Will Graham didn't seem to be very eager to work with her. Crawford's cell phone started ringing, he looked at her before he walked out of his office, leaving Will & Clarice alone. There was an awkwardness between them, like one of these awful blind dates Ardelia had arranged for her.

Will was staring out of the window again, looking very disturbed, lost in thought. He looked so desperate, like a wounded animal.

"Are you okay?" Clarice asked him when she stepped closer to the wall with the pictures of Buffalo Bill's victims.

"Uh yeah," he stammered when he walked towards her until he stood right beside her.

Will could hear her soft breathing next to her. He had so many questions for her, she'd seen Hannibal. He knew that he couldn't ask her, but he felt a weird connection with Hannibal through the young woman. The man didn't want to get involved in the Buffalo Bill case but he knew that he'd get this kind of treatment when he started teaching again.

Being social was very hard for Will, even before he had met Hannibal Lecter. Clarice was one of his students, that was also disturbing. He didn't doubt her skills or knowledge or the fact that she was a trainee, he was afraid that he'd like her for the same reasons that made Hannibal talk to her.


	7. Chapter 7

They were clueless, Will Graham had no who they were looking for. A man probably, white. He couldn't be any older than 35 years. The bodies were all found in different states. _So it could be anyone, anywhere._

Will didn't expect this sudden change. Clarice was supposed to go see Hannibal, nothing more. Will didn't like being sociable, the last person he let into his life was Molly. And she had left him.

And there was Hannibal… also gone. It was partially his own fault but it was better like this.

Abigail, dead.

Alana, left the country with her family. Morgan had become her whole world.

Molly had taken the dogs with her when she had filed for divorce. After a two months alone, Will had found a new stay dog. He had named her Luna, after the moon.

 _It does look black in the moonlight._

It was just the two of them. Actually the three of them if you count the liquor in. In the worst nights, Luna would lay her head on Will's chest to calm him a bit. Sometimes it worked.

That's why Will didn't like getting this young girl involved. Also Jack would totally push her into self-destruction, just like he and Hannibal had done to him.

"I guess we're both getting involved now, professor Graham," she said softly while they were still staring at the cork board.

Will remembered how it all started here, the pictures of the victims of the Minnesota Shrike were replaced by the victims of Buffalo Bill. Hannibal wasn't there, Clarice was standing at the same spot where he had been standing. It felt all so familiar.

"I think you can call me Will," he said while he forced himself to smile at her. It seemed to calm her down a bit.

'"Then Will it is," Clarice smiled hesitantly at him. This was all new to her, she's never been in the field. Clarice knew the life, her dad had told her everything about the life. Catching the bad guys, it all seemed so awesome to Clarice. Until her father had bought that lifestyle with his own life.

Will had seen enough. The girls' dead eyes looking at him. _Couldn't you have saved us?_ He sat down in one of the chair's in front of Jack's desk trying to stay in the real world. It was difficult but he succeeded.

"He asked...," Will swallowed hard, "asked about me?"

Clarice hesitated. _Shit_. Will meant Dr. Lecter.

She took a seat in the chair next to him before she nodded her head. His face was blank. His bright blue eyes looked sad before he looked away.

In that moment Clarice felt sorry for him. Will had seen things that most people would traumatise for the rest of their lives. He reminded her of one of her foster friends that had gone to Afghanistan when he was old enough to leave the foster home.

"He asked me if I knew you," Clarice said with a low voice.

Will sighed. He wanted to ask her so much, how was he looking? Did he look happy? Still drawing? Is he…? He couldn't ask her. Maybe later. He could get it out of her sooner or later.

"Jack told me you snarled at him?" Will turned his head slightly, smiling a bit at the thought of it all. A young woman having a sass off with Hannibal. A smirk on Hannibal's lips while thinking about eating her organs.

"He called me 'white trash' so he kind of asked for it," she smiled at the hilarity of it all. If Hannibal the Cannibal weren't locked up, she'd probably be a lovely dinner buffet right now. They both smiled at each other like two morons.

 _He's pushing all your buttons all at once. Typically Hannibal. So typical._

"Do you think Raspail has got something to do with Buffalo Bill?" Clarice asked him.

"Maybe in some way. Hannibal's… testing you. You noticed?" Will's eyed had a dark sparkle when he said his name. Almost like a lover would do.

"Like Jack Crawford is testing me? I noticed and I think I can handle it just fine. I just don't like lying. Sending me in there, telling me it was about a profile, was smart. I had doubts about the true reason behind it but I thought I wouldn't be told lies at the BSU. If there's something I need to know, then please tell me." Clarice didn't want to be fooled again. She needed to know who she could trust.

"Jack likes to lie," Will replied. By the way he said those words, it seemed that he's been played before by Jack Crawford. Maybe he was. Will didn't seem to enjoy Jack's presence.

"What do we know about Raspail?" Will asked her.

"Well," she started, "the notes of Dr. Hannibal Lecter's patients are lost, they've been burned."

 _Yes, I've burnt those with him_. Will got lost in thoughts while he listened to Clarice' sweet voice.

* * *

Hannibal Lecter was sitting in his office, Will was sitting in the chair on the opposite of him. Like they used to a long time ago. Will's face wasn't scarred, back when Will was suffering from encephalitis. Will's eyes were closed. He was at peace. It calmed Hannibal a bit to see him happy. Dr. Lecter stood up and walked out of the room, looking behind his shoulder, making sure Will was still there. He shut the door with Will's name engraved on it.

The next room was filled with memories of Misha.

She was smiling at him when she tried to catch up while young Hannibal ran away. She was four. They were in Lithuania before the intruders came. They took her away from him. Hannibal could still hear her laugh when he had closed the door. It was a happy memory. The only happy memory he got.

The next door was made of oak and had a name card on it.

Clarice Starling's name was engraved on a steel plate. The room contained the conversation between them. Thoughts about Will. The similarities between her and Abigail Hobbs.

Hannibal imagined Clarice looked a bit like he imagined Misha to be all grown up. Unfortunately Misha hadn't grown older than six year.

Hannibal walked for a few minutes, the hall would go on forever. Some doors looked like they hadn't been opened for a very long time. This part of the memory palace was dark and creepy.

Hannibal didn't seem to be scared, he walked confidently to the door with the name Benjamin Raspail on it.

He entered it.

It had been a few weeks that Hannibal had seen Benjamin Raspail, he was a depressed flutist of the Baltimore Philharmonic Orchestra. He was quite the extravagant type, outgoing but still searching for that missing part in his life. Hannibal was tired of listening to his adventures in the gay clubs of Baltimore.

Hannibal was getting bored until one day he mentioned his violent boyfriend Jame. The two had been romantically involved at that time but after a few weeks Benjamin had cheated on him with a Norwegian sailor. It was a brief affair because the man had more attention for his boat than for his lover. When boyfriend Jame found out, he had murdered the sailor. _Interesting._

Jame had murdered the man and then made an apron from his skin. The sailor's decapitated body was found in his motel room. The killer was working in a Baltimore Curio store before he had been fired for stealing.

Hannibal wanted to know more about the Jame. Benjamin told him he had lived in an unsatisfactory foster home until the age of 10, after which he was adopted by his grandparents. They became his first victims, when he murdered them impulsively at age 12. He was then sent to a psychiatric hospital where he was taught how to be a tailor.

Benjamin was very desperate to help his friend Jame, who was convinced by his cheating lover to have a session with Hannibal. Jame Gumb was a tall, handsome man. Hannibal immediately recognised the killer inside the man. Hannibal was curious about what would happen if he exposed himself to Jame.

Jame explained that he'd been feeling 'very violent' the last few months. Without the knowledge of his boyfriend Benjamin, Gumb had begun filing in applications for gender reassignment surgery. What he felt for his lover was not real love, as Jame Gumb was not a real homosexual. All of his applications were declined because he was too psychologically disturbed.

As the session lead to its ending, Benjamin bursted into the office were Hannibal and Jame were talking. Raspail was furious about something obviously. _Very very rude, Benjamin._

"JAME, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" he shouted angrily. Jame didn't flinch and looked up at his boyfriend.

Raspail walked towards Jame as if he was going to hit him.

Hannibal was done with Benjamin's rude intrusion. Hannibal stood up and snapped his neck before he could say one more word. His lifeless body fell on the floor.

"I think this is one les problem to worry about Jame." Hannibal said with a calm voice.

Jame looked from the body at his feet to Hannibal's face. Jame didn't seem to care. His calmness exited Hannibal. It seemed like he had found his new play toy.

"It seems so, Dr. Lecter," and with those words Jame stood up, walked over Benjamin's dead body and made his way to the exit of Hannibal's office.

Before he disappeared though the door opening he spoke, "It's been an eye opening session Dr. Lecter. Thank you for opening my eyes."

Those were the last words Hannibal Lecter had ever heard from him. Until a new serial killer had the front page of the National Tattler.

His name was Buffalo Bill.


	8. Chapter 8

Clarice had received a call from Jack Crawford with 5 simple opening words: "Your friend Miggs is dead." _Maybe he really killed himself._

Clarice didn't feel anything, it wasn't exactly a loss but it didn't make her happy. Especially when she thought of Miggs's neighbour.

"How did he, uhm?" she asked.

"Nurses heard Lecter talk to him all night after you were gone. Swallowed his own tongue." Jack seemed angry but not towards her.

"Oh god." _He did this for me. Because he was rude to me._

 _"_ Dr. Chilton is mad. He doesn't know about what happened after your conversation with Hannibal Lecter. It was confidential," Jack said, reassuring Clarice a bit. Clarice sat down for a bit when she thought about Hannibal Lecter.

* * *

She was happy that she was back in class again. Skipping her class wasn't like her at all. Ardelia was willing to share her notes of the classes she'd missed.

Will Graham was not the person she thought he was. He seemed.. hurt and scared.

 _That's the price of his imagination_ , Clarice thought. It was a line from Freddie Lounds' book.

Will didn't seem to like to talk to her except when it was about the case. Then he seemed to be on _his_ game, he had an exceptional way of seeing things.

Clarice had to admit it was fascinating to hear him talk, not about teaching mumbo jumbo, but the real stuff. This was real.

Clarice had found out last night that Benjamin Raspail had owned a whole series of cars. They had been sold after his death but some of his belongings were kept. Clarice hoped that might bring up something useful for Jack Crawford. She didn't want to dissapoint him.

He had given her a license that stated 'federal agent', it expired in one week but she couldn't help but smile a bit at the title.

 _Daddy would have been so proud._

It was hard to focus on what professor Andrews was saying. The last days were quite hectic and she didn't care about Civil Equalitiy at all.

Benjamin Raspail had no relatives that seemed to care much about his death. He lived alone and his ex-colleges described him as a "very difficult man". Maybe that's why Hannibal Lecter had murdered him, psychiatrists wrote that Hannibal Lecter often killed for fun and out of curiosity.

Clarice remembered something that had happened the other day. Clarice was reading the file of Benjamin Raspail and read some interesting points out loud to Will. When Clarice mentioned Raspail's missing thymus and pancreas, Will started to shiver. Clarice pretended that she didn't notice.

Raspail was murdered in 2011, maybe Will Graham was his dinner guest the day after… Clarice tried to exclude that idea. But he must have fed… the meat to his guests, right?

Will and herself were going to drive to Raspail's attorney in Baltimore, a two-hour drive from Quantico. They were going to look into Raspail's stock of goods, they had permission from his attorney but he wanted to be there with them in case they found something.

Will insisted to drive, unsure if Clarice's car could handle another long drive.

Ardelia was manic when she found out Clarice was going to team up with "the hot teacher". Clarice sighed at her enthusiasm, Ardelia bragging about Clarice's so called 'date'.

Although Delia got it all wrong, she smiled at her friend who always seemed to see an opportunity to get Clarice on a date.

* * *

"Hey," Will smiled at her as she got into his car. Will was wearing a black shirt and kaki trousers.

"Hay" she said nervously.

She realised she was going to be alone with him for a long time. She didn't know that much about him except that he had killed people. _In self-defence_ , she tried to reassure herself.

"So uhm.. how was class?" he asked as if it was something hilarious. Like a father/daughter moment.

"Good. I haven't asked any questions at all today," Clarice smirked at him. _Humour as self-defence huh?_

"That's impossible," Will looked at her with the most sincere smile he had.

She had given him a difficult task to answer all questions during class. It was then that he had seen her intelligence and wit. Something Hannibal would appreciate in a woman. And so would he.

"Sorry for that by the way," Clarice said.

"It's fine, at least someone awake in my class," Will mumbled as they drove away from campus.

"Oh believe me, everyone's paying attention in your class. You're quite famous, you know?" Clarice looked at him but his eyes were focussed on the road.

He hummed in response.

Clarice noticed it the moment she got into his car, the sweet aroma of liquor. It reminded her of her mother, she thought the bottle was going to take all her problems away. Will was an alcoholic. He probably emptied the car before picking her up.

The following hour they talked about Quantico and their motives to get into this business. It was professional but easy-going conversation. Clarice had to _ask him_.

Hannibal Lecter was on her mind since she'd met him. He was such an imitating man. When Clarice was asleep, he dreamt of his reddish vibrant eyes, staring at her in the dark.

"Can I ask you something personal?" It was now or never. She swallowed hard.

"Yes," he replied, suddenly obnoxious about the seriousness in her tone. Will looked at the girl on his right.

"You're going to let me pass, right?" she laughed. _Dumbass, ask him about Hannibal Lecter_! She couldn't, he'd crash the car because of the shock.

"Oh no, I'm going to give you a hard time, all of you," he said determined.

Will enjoyed Clarice's company. She tried to keep up a polite conversation. He watched her staring out of the window.

Her hair was braided and she was wearing a black cardigan. Simple yet elegant. Clarice was adorable, warm and honest. Character traits he almost never found in people. She didn't make him nervous or put any weight on his shoulders.

Will was happy that he wasn't alone in the field. He was curious, she had seen _him_. Her eyes had laid eyes on him. What did she think of him?

"You got a dog?" she asked him after a while.

"You noticed?"

"You look like a person who enjoys animal company more than human company."

"Point taken. What about you?" Will caught her smile.

"I don't think Quantico would like me turning my dorm into an animal shelter," Clarice said with a bitter undertone.

"What about home?" Will asked.

"My parents left _my_ life when I was young. So I travelled much, no time for animal-keeping," Clarice said bluntly. The memory hurt. She didn't want to look at him.

"I'm sorry," Will said awkwardly. There was silence.

"My mother left my life before I was old enough to remember. My father became everything to me. Thought me everything I knew. We didn't have everything but I got him," Will didn't knew why he told her. He remembered her file.

 _Shot twice through the chest. Comatose state._

Clarice didn't say anything.

Will and Clarice arrived at a smudgy storage outside Baltimore when it started to rain. A dark SUV was parked at the entrance.

"That must be our guy," she said.

The Split City storage looked more like a smudgy trailer park than an official storage facility. Most of the units looked like they haven't been opened in years. They were probably forgotten by their owners.

The dark SUV belonged to Raspail's attorney, Everett Yow. He was stocky, sweaty Asian man in his late fifty's. He was easy-going about the inspection after he saw their credentials. The car they were looking for was supposed to be in there.

Will didn't like him for some reason. Yow declared that he hadn't been in the unit for years. He seemed interested in what they were searching for. _Oh nothing some obscene Valentine's gift from a psychopath!_

The rain got worse and it was already dark when their car stopped at unit 31. Clarice gave Will a torch light while she turned on her own.

Will and Clarice had trouble opening the heavy door. Yow stayed in the car, watching them. Clarice heard the rats, their little feet tripling inside the unit. It smelt awful inside and dust lay everywhere. The unit contained lots of wooden furniture, sofa's, fancy tables and even a piano. There was a tower of damp boxes on the left side of the unit.

In the back there stood a car covered in a smudgy blanket. The light of the flashlight scared the mice. Clarice hoped they didn't bite her.

Will looked around in the unite, like a curious child.

Clarice got over to the car, making sure she didn't trip. The car was big, high and long. A Packard limousine from 1938, Yow's list said. She put on her gloves, in case they found any evidence. She peaked underneath the blanket to make sure it was the right car.

"Clarice?" Will asked.

"I think I found our car," she replied.

Clarice removed the blanket. She reached out for the handle. The doors were locked. She wanted to break the window but she could get in a lot of trouble. No. Instead of that she used a plastic card to force the lock. Her father had learned it to her so she knew what to do in an emergency situation. _Kind of._

Will watched her get into the car. His feet didn't know what to do: follow Clarice or stay far away. He didn't want to know what was inside of it. Probably something horrifying to scare her.

The dust made Clarice cough. There were lots of belongings in the fancy car.

There was a quilt on the floor of the limousine with something underneath that looked like a human body. Clarice' heart skipped a beat.

If it was a body, she should smell it right? It should be decomposed by now. Or sometimes the body remains in tact after death.

She pulled the quilt away, it was a sex doll. _Ha ha very funny, Dr. Lecter. What a Valentine's gift, you asshole._

"Clarice?" she heard Will say.

"Nothing," her voice echoed in the unit, clearly disappointed. The car seemed to be full of obscene sex toys that Clarice didn't want to look up close. _It has got to be in here._

Clarice sat down in the backseat and sighed. There was a bird cage standing next to her with a pink cashmere blanket on it. She grasped the soft cloth. It wasn't a bird cage, it felt like some sort of glass bell.

She gently took it off before she saw what was inside the bell. Or who.

There was a decapitated head inside the shade. The head had greenish look caused by the fluid inside of the bell. The dead eyes looking right at her. _Oh god._

"Will," she heard a voice yell and realised it was her own.

She stumbled out of the car and felt Will's grip around her arm.

"We need back up, Will. There's someone in there. A head."

"Clarice, show me. Calm down and show me where."

Will followed her into the dark car. Clarice panic turned into calmness when Will stood next to her. He seemed paralysed. Clarice looked at him for further instructions. Will wasn't shocked at all. It has been a while since Clarice saw a dead body. And this was just the head. She wordered where the rest was.

"Call Jack," Clarice gripped her phone out of her pocked and called him. She looked at Will as she waited for Crawford to pick up, he tried not to look at it. Probably something to do with his empathy disorder, Clarice thought.

"What did you find?", Jack's voice said.

* * *

Hannibal was sketching when he heard them coming. The sound of multiple footsteps echoed through the hallway.

He didn't look at them before they all stood in front of his cell.

"Hello Frederick, you look much better since I last saw you," Hannibal said calmly as he saw Chilton's angry scarred face.

He put down his pencil next to the drawing he was making of Clarice Starling. He looked down at it one last time before the SWAT team intruded his cell and forced him on the ground.

 _Well done, little bird._


	9. Chapter 9

The following hours rushed by, Clarice did no longer have any realisation of time. Her body went in automatic pilot. Sirens, forensics, nosy reporters, Jack's voice yelling instructions trough the phone, Will in a delusional state, yelling, breaking dawn, more rain. Clarice didn't care about the soaked clothes, she wanted to do something.

The whole unit was being searched for more evidence. There was nothing Will and Clarice could do. Clarice had a forensic background but there was a professional forensic team on the spot. They had to await for further instructions.

It was 3 AM. Clarice found Will in his car, trying to calm himself a bit. His eyes were closed. Clarice sat on the seat next to him and let out a sigh when he ignored her.

"Got anything?" he asked without looking at her.

"No," Will opened his eyes and looked at her but remained silent, "what's going to happen next?"

"I don't know," Will said.

"You're lying. You know what's going to happen, you're the empath!" Clarice said to her own surprise. Will knew this life. He knows what goes on in people's head.

Will was surprised by the anger in her words. She was so driven. He sighed.

"They're interrogating Hannibal right now. He will refuse to cooperate. He'll drive dr. Chilton and Jack nuts and that's when they send you back in because.. he'll want to know everything from _you._ "

"Why would he want to talk to me _and not YOU_? I've been wondering for a while now," she finally told him. Will's big blue eyes looked into hers after he realised her question, the real question: _why don't you go see him yourself?_

Will seemed to put himself together.

Clarice wasn't going to let this go. He somehow understood her, there was so much that she didn't knew.

"He took everything from me. My life, my family and my sanity," Will said while looking her straight in the eye.

Clarice hated the crack in his voice and the pain in his eyes. She wanted to make it all stop.

"Hannibal doesn't want me to have anyone but him," Clarice listened carefully, "being an empath is the most horrible thing. I looked into his head. I've been there. It's the darkest place you can imagine." _And I still miss that darkness._

He shook his head a little and smiled sourly, "I can't go back to him, Clarice. He'll see it as a victory. A wounded stray running back to its owner."

Clarice didn't expect this. Will seemed to be shaken by his own revelations, he couldn't look at her anymore.

She did something Will didn't expect. Clarice reached out for his shaking hands and took them into hers.

She knew he didn't like being touched but she had to. They were shaking a bit, from the alcohol addiction, his body craving for a deathly drug. She slowly put them in hers. They both looked at their entwined hands before she spoke.

"Thank you for telling me. You are not alone in this. Remember that." When Will looked up from their hands, her brown eyes towering into his blue one's.

Will smiled a bit at her and she let go of his hands. He didn't want to let go of hers.

She was trying to keep him here, she was the only one who cared about his mental state. Jack wanted to have his bloodhound back into the field and Clarice had to hold his leach this time. Jack was underestimating her. The FBI too. Everyone probably.

Clarice suddenly realised she was holding hands with her teacher so she let go of his strong, warm hands before it got more awkward.

Now she felt stupid, like a flirty dumb teen with a crush. Clarice just wanted to know that she felt sorry for him, nothing more.

 _He'll want to know everything from you._ She'd go back to see him. Clarice had a weird feeling of excitement and fear. But confronting Hannibal was better than being stuck here. She wanted to be useful. To bring justice to the family of the man they had found.

Will's phone broke their silence.

Clarice stared outside, the headlamps of the car shining at the crime scene. She saw two crime scene investigators come outside arguing, they have been since they arrived at the crime scene. One man was 50ish and had grey hair, the other man was younger. He had curly brown hard and a scruffy beard.

Clarice looked at the dashboard. 3 AM.

She should be in bed right now, or studying.

Ardelia had sent her a few texts a few hours ago: "Not coming home from your hot date right? ;)"

followed by:

"I WANT DETAILS! IS HE A GOOD KISSER?" Clarice rolled her eyes.

"No, we found a body. Don't freak out or tell anyone. The whole FBI is scanning the scene. Getting no sleep. See you later," Clarice had typed quickly.

Will hung up. Clarice raised an eyebrow while she waited for an explanation.

" _He_ wants to talk to you. Only you," Will said, "He refuses to cooperate. Jack's freaking out. We're already shoulders deep in Buffalo Bill and now Hannibal's playing a new game."

He sighed. Clarice said nothing, exhausted from a turbulent night. This is going to be a long night. Will started the car.

"Right now?" Clarice asked surprised.

"Jack is furious. Dr Chilton is furious about Lecter refusing to cooperate. They will drag you to Baltimore if I don't bring you right now." Will drove faster than she remembered.

 _He must be as nervous as I am_ , Clarice thought.

Will looked at Clarice and suddenly saw the child in her, tired and unhappy with their plans. She never signed up for this, he thought. _You did_ , the voice in the back of his mind said, _you signed her up for this._

"The director, Chilton, was not really fond of you," Clarice mumbled. Understatement. Will knew. He had used Chilton as a pawn.

 _That's the FBI, we play dirty or we don't play at all._

Clarice nodded and made herself comfortable for a short ride to the Baltimore State Hospital. She closed her eyes but still saw Hannibal Lecter in her thoughts.

* * *

"Still got nothing to say Hannibal?" Chilton mused while laying on Hannibal's bed. The man himself was wearing a straitjacket and a mouthpiece.

Hannibal seemed to say something.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Chilton removed the mouthpiece from Hannibal's head with one simple move.

Hannibal smiled sassily at Dr. Chilton.

"Nothing Frederick. I was just admiring your facial expressions. The surgeons did great work. You almost look better than before Dolarhyde," Hannibal meant it.

Before Chilton could react, one of the agents whispered something in his ear. He straightened his jacket and gave Hannibal one last dirty look before walking out.

Barney, who couldn't do anything about this whole situation, looked nervous. They never had been so much people in his tiny office.

"When did she arrive?" Chilton asked.

"Just now, dr.," the cop said, trying to keep up with him. He sighed.

When he walked into his office, he saw Alana Bloom sitting in his chair, legs crossed. Reading through some of his notes.

She still looked very pretty but she had grown more elegant through the years. She closed the book.

"Dr. Bloom, what a surprise," he greeted.

"Hello Frederick. It's been a while. Is he talking?" Alana asked. She was wearing red lipstick.

"No. He's being a little brat. You should know that because after all you knew him _more intimately_ than all of us," Chilton almost spit.

Alana smiled sourly. She stood up and walked to the window.

"I already know but I must ask: why are you here? Jack told me you were done. Left the country?" Chilton sat down in his beloved chair, watching Alana carefully.

"I was visiting family when Jack called me," Alana didn't look at him.

"Did Jack ask you to talk to Lecter? Then he didn't tell you, he has replaced with a younger, more charming version of you to talk to the troubled souls. And Will Graham of course, he's sending him back into the field. Marvellous, isn't it?" he smiled, "and now you're all back in my office." He was frustrated.

Alana scoffed. _Jack hadn't told her that. Poor Will. He'll never learn._

"You can go talk to him if you want, he's being his mocking, unpleasant self."

"No, I'm here to check the FBI, making sure they do their job," she walked back to Chilton's desk.

After Alana had married Margot Verger, she did not only get rich but she got power. Frederick knew that. He couldn't mock her as he used to.

"And now that Jack's using Will again, I can check up on him," Alana sighed," and make sure Will does what he has promised me."

Chilton raised an eyebrow. Alana's look said enough: to stay away from _him_.


	10. Chapter 10

Clarice relived the same nervous feeling when she walked through the same hallway. She had expected it to be full of agents but it was empty, as it should be at 4:30AM.

Will seemed to think about something, something painful because he wasn't exactly smiling.

Clarice remembered that he had been accused of Hannibal Lecter's crimes. Imprisoned under Frederick Chilton's watch. In this building.

"You must be Will Graham and Clarice Starling from the FBI," a younger officer walked up to them. Clarice nodded. She wanted to follow him but Will was hesitant.

"I'll wait in the car," Will said. He was gone before Clarice could say something.

Mysterious man, she thought while she got to the elevator with the boy to lower herself into the basement of the asylum.

* * *

The zooming noise was followed by the metallic sound of the gate opening. Clarice took one step forwards. She had only been here a few days ago but everything had changed. She was no longer alone. Instead there was a small elite troop of FBI agents behind her. The pressure was higher.

The FBI was going to tape their conversation, Dr. Chilton had agreed. They were all listening.

The leader had given her a few instructions. Lecter refused to talk about the head Clarice and Will had found in the unit.

Hannibal Lecter had insulted director Chilton and had smiled for the rest of the time. He enjoyed this game of his. He had all the power and knowledge.

Clarice was pleased when the interrogation leader called Dr. Chilton a d*ckhead. Apparently Chilton made fun of the fact that "he wasn't a pretty FBI trainee" which lead to another snarky response from Hannibal Lecter. _Good._

When Jack heard about Lecter's stubbornness, he had decided to call her and Will.

And there she was. Again. Still wet from the rain, exhausted and confused about everything.

She looked at the cell on her left, Miggs was gone, dead. The other inmate was also gone, they probably wanted Lecter alone.

She heard the echo of her own footsteps. She swallowed hard. Then she thought about the head in the jar and all her stress seemed to disappear. She felt anger and felt strong determination to find out what had happened to the man and –more importantly- who had done this to him.

One more step and she could have a look in his cell. He was going to give her everything she wanted to know.

His cell was dark. She couldn't see where Dr. Lecter was. You're not scaring me.

"Hello Dr. Lecter," Clarice spoke unsure if it was already morning. She did no longer care.

"Hello Clarice," a voice spoke from the darkness. Clarice couldn't see him.

Dr. Lecter emerged from the darkness. If she wasn't as angry as she was, Clarice would probably be frightened.

His dark eyes scanned over her body. She looked more informal in her wet FBI coat than a few days ago.

"You found my Valentine's gift?" he suggested.

Clarice nodded. She got closer to the glass of his cell when the lights turned on.

Hannibal Lecter looked at her carefully. Still beautiful even though she looked tired.

"Where are all your drawings?" Clarice noticed they were gone. His cell looked emptier and more depressing without them.

"Ah, a punishment. For Miggs," Hannibal Lecter said.

Clarice looked over at the empty cell on her left. Hannibal noticed.

"It's quiet without him. Don't you think?" Hannibal wanted to see her reaction.

She shrugged.

"Weren't you happy when you heard?" Hannibal asked her with a mischievous grin.

"No, not really," Clarice said.

Lecter looked at her expectantly, as if he wanted her to continue, "It's sad for Miggs but no, I wasn't happy."

Dr. Lecter took a step closer to the glass. He sat down with his legs crossed and made a gesture to Clarice to do the same. She was thankful for that, her legs could collapse any second.

Hannibal Lecter said nothing but seemed to inhale her scent. _Oh no. He'll know about…_

"How's dear Will, Clarice? His dark eyes seemed to be burning even though his body remained calm.

"Ah, he's fine," she mumbled. Clarice looked away, not wanting to look into the eyes of the devil.

Will's scent on Clarice made Hannibal furious inside. He wanted to do something very bad to Miss Starling when he ever got out. She'd suffer. _If_ he ever got out.

But when Hannibal looked at her, he just couldn't. She looked so much like _her_.

When Clarice had pulled herself together and looked at him. He's not the one in charge. _She was_.

Lecter noticed the change of temperament in her eyes. The look on her face said: ask ahead, what do you want to know?

Lecter knew she was playing a mind game right now.

Lecter smiled at her. Nice try Jack. Well done. You teamed them up.

"What did you think of my gift, Clarice?" he asked her.

"Yes, the head. Thank you for that. Original. Former patient of you, dr. Lecter?" she asked him.

"You know they will dispose you a soon as I tell you," Lecter spoke.

"I figured," Clarice laughed because it was true. She was only here because Lecter wanted her.

He wanted her to stay, she was a good listener. Not some cocky Special Agent to snarl at him. Hannibal had to admit he had grown fond of Clarice Starling, he enjoyed her intelligence and wit.

"Why don't you ask me about Buffalo Bill?" Lecter winked at her.

Clarice shivered. This wasn't about Buffalo Bill, this was about the man in the jar. Will and Jack had sent her in here to ask him about that. They had lied to her, but Lecter knew. He knew something about Buffalo Bill.

Clarice sighed realising this little game of his. Hannibal shook his head like a proud teenager that knew something he wasn't supposed to know.

"What do you know about him?" Clarice asked, knowing he wasn't going to tell her without being a little brat.

"Maybe if I can look into the case file.." Hannibal started.

"I'm not on the case, I'm just a trainee remember?"

"Never just a trainee. An agent in training," he said. Clarice scoffed as she remembered when he called her white trash. He probably said that to Miriam Lass as well before he captured her and sent her arm to Jack Crawford.

"I can't give it to you, dr. Lecter," even though it could help the both of them, "can't you tell me something about the head?"

"Did you find only the head? I only saw the head. Still wondering about where the rest of him was," Lecter said.

"It was just the head," Clarice said hopefully.

"What can you tell me about it, Clarice?" Lecter was teasing her again. _Tell me about Buffalo Bill._

"White male. 27 years old. Had European and American dental surgeries," she sighed. They had just found the head a few hours ago.

"He was Raspail's lover. A Scandinavian sailor. And before you ask me who killed him. It was not me," Lecter continued. _But you know who did kill him…_

"Buffalo Bill?" Clarice asked while her heart beat faster and faster.

Hannibal stared at her. The little bird was getting excited.

"No. Raspail told me he had strangled him, and if I recall correctly his name was Klaus. Our decapitated friend had cheated on him. But Raspail liked to make stories up so I have to disappoint you. I think he was killed during some obscene sex game. Raspail was not a killer."

"He told you that?" Clarice said.

"During his therapy he thought that he could tell me anything. Doctor-patient confidentiality."

"Raspail ended up dead. Thanks to you, right?" It got harder for Clarice to hide her accent.

"Yes, his therapy was going nowhere. He was annoying. After I heard his bad flute playing in the Baltimore Philharmonic, I snapped his neck. He was ruining the concert. The next day I had a lovely dinner party," Lecter said it as if it was nothing.

"Right, dinner party," she mumbled.

"I'd love to invite you one day to one of my dinner parties one day, Clarice. Bring your boyfriend Will with you," Hannibal said sassily.

"Will is not my boyfriend, dr. Lecter," Clarice sighed. _Wasn't he your former 'murder husband'?_

He watched her carefully.

"Do you think he likes you?" Hannibal wasn't going to let the subject of Will Graham go this easily.

"I never thought about it," Clarice remembered that moment in the car.

"Your first lie to me, Clarice. How sad. Do you think Wil wants you, sexually? He's much older than you but do you think he visualizes... scenarios, exchanges... sleeping with you?" there was the same darkness from earlier in his eyes.

 _Was this jealousy? Really, Dr. Lecter?_

"No, that doesn't interest me, Dr. Lecter. I think he has already enough on his mind, right?" _Enough meaning you._

Clarice felt uncomfortable. She didn't really knew what Will thought of her and she didn't knew what Hannibal and Will were. Former friends, lovers, partners in crime, …

"How unfortunate for Will then," Hannibal concluded.

He looked sad. Clarice understood the meaning of his words and tried to hide her confusion.

"Tell Jack that I want to give him information if I can see the case file."

"And?" Clarice said.

"I want to be transferred to a federal institution as far away as possible from Frederick Chilton. I want my books back and I want a room with a view. I'll give him valuable information, about Buffalo Bill." He closed his eyes. Clarice took the opportunity to look at his face carefully.

"So you do know him?" Hannibal Lecter ignored her question.

She sighed.

"What if Jack Crawford refuses, Dr. Lecter?" Clarice wondered. Lecter opened his eyes but did not look at her.

"Then wait until Buffalo Bill takes another," he replied.

"But-," Clarice began.

"I'm afraid that you know enough Clarice. Goodbye." Hannibal Lecter got up and dimmed the lights.

Clarice sat there for a brief moment.

"Goodbye dr. Lecter," she said to the darkness.

She got up and had one single look at the cell.

Nothing.

Clarice knew he was watching her. That's when she left the hallway and left Dr. Hannibal Lecter behind.

* * *

 **Hey guys GOOD NEWS: Augustus 2017 is the date that talks about Hannibal s4 will continue. It won't be the SOTL/Clarice storyline, but I'll be glad if the show just continues with the old cast. Thank you for the lovely reviews I got on Chapter 9, you are amazing.**


	11. Chapter 11

Alana had heard every word of Clarice's conversation with Hannibal. She had to admit that the girl was good, honest and didn't take any of his bullshit without being rude.

No wonder Lecter talked to her. She got on his level.

Chilton and Alana were both sitting behind the desk listening to their conversation on Frederick's computer.

"The FBI doesn't know you're still tapping conversations right?" she said.

He played with the tip of his pen between his teeth. He smiled.

"They got lazy and I got creative, so I found another way to wire the cells," he laughed at his own intelligence.

He hated the FBI, they were a gang of desperate fools using people whenever it fit their agenda. And they had used him way too many times.

"I could report you, Frederick," Alana said.

"You won't," he said. He was right.

Alana and he had been listening carefully to what Hannibal had said. Chilton had made some notes. Especially about the Buffalo Bill part.

Alana didn't really expect that Hannibal would know him but apparently he did. Friends with all the monsters.

Alana smiled when she heard that Hannibal wanted to be 'as far away from Dr. Chilton as possible', she giggled when she looked at Fredrick's face.

After the conversation had ended and Clarice had left the hallway, Alana stood up and made an attempt to leave.

"I'm suggesting this stays between us?" Chilton asked.

"Sure. Goodbye, Frederick," she said before exiting.

* * *

One of the FBI Officers was talking to Jack Crawford on the phone. He had followed their conversation. Clarice had him on the phone for one minute for further instructions.

Jack had told her to go home and get some rest. Will should do the same. He's call them if there's any update. When Clarice started about the offer, Jack told her that he'll have to think about it.

While the FBI was packing their gear, Clarice walked past Barney. The only friendly man working in the hospital. He looked worried with all the fuss in his little office.

"Is everything okay?" she asked him. He smiled at her, trying to keep his pokerface.

"I've been working here for a few years but there's never been so much fuss around here since," he paused, "well since you walked in here."

He didn't want to insult her but it was true after all.

"Well, it seems like we're just getting started," Clarice shook her head.

Barney knew the girl didn't chose to be here. She was just a puppet and she wasn't mean like the rest of the FBI troops that had infiltrated his small office without saying a word.

"They're almost done. Good night, Barney."

"Good night, Miss Starling," Barney said.

Clarice felt like the walls were coming at her. She'd need some fresh air.

* * *

The hall was still empty but she could see a few rays of sunlight peeping through the window. It was already morning.

When Clarice realised she was alone, she sighed deeply. No tears this time.

"Hello," Clarice heard an unknown voice say.

Clarice saw a woman dressed in a red coat looking at her from across the hallway. She was holding a crane in her hand, just like Dr. Chilton. _Maybe she was his wife._

She looked like she didn't really belong here but neither did Clarice.

"Hello," she said confused, wondering what she wanted. Clarice got over to her. She smiled at her as Clarice got closer.

Clarice shook her hand, "Dr. Alana Bloom," the mysterious woman said. _Oh my god, it's her._

"Clarice Starling," she said shyly. Clarice knew her, everyone knew her. She was almost as famous as Will.

Everyone always talked about the fact that Will survived Hannibal but so did she. Rumours told that she had left the country with her family.

"That was quite good down there," Alana said. So she was listening. It made her feel uncomfortable. Alana Bloom was a great psychiatrist before she quit.

"Thank you," Clarice said.

"You're a friend of Will?" Alana asked. The way she asked made it look like she was not only interested but more concerned.

Clarice nodded.

"He's outside, in the car," she said.

Alana made a gesture to the bench behind her. Alana and Clarice both sat down.

"How is he? Just between us. Still drinking?" Alana asked.

The surprised expression on Clarice's face said enough.

"Yeah, he doesn't know that I know," Clarice said, "but I don't really _know_ him, uhm."

 _Bring your boyfriend Will with you._ Hilarious.

Alana sighed. She seemed to be thinking.

"And how about you, Clarice. Can you handle this… situation?" Alana asked.

"Yes," she lied. Clarice just wanted to go home and get some sleep and maybe a shower.

"Is it okay if I walk with you to Will?" she asked politely.

"Sure," Clarice said as they got up.

She noticed Alana didn't really need her walking crane, but she still held the door open for her. They continued having a little chat about Quantico.

Will got out of his car when he saw Alana walking next to Clarice. He was surprised to see her here.

Alana had proclaimed that she never wanted to return to America. But here she was, standing right in front of him.

Clarice gave a nod and got into the car to give them some time together. She observed them.

Will didn't seem excited to see her, they didn't hug or anything. But their conversation wasn't angry, it seemed awkward for the both of them.

Clarice looked at the dashboard: 7 AM. She normally went for her morning run around this time. Clarice sighed and went back to her phone to answer Ardelia's messages. Hannibal Lecter was still on her mind.

Will got back into the car after five minutes. Clarice waved at Alana as she gave the both one more look before walking in the opposite direction from where they came.

Clarice didn't want to look at him, she was still shaken up about her conversation with Hannibal Lecter. She shivered.

"Jack told me to get some rest, both of us," Clarice looked at the dash board, avoiding Will's blue eyes.

She didn't want to bring up that Alana and her knew about his drinking.

Clarice knew Will was staring at her, expecting more from her.

Will started the car and gave her some space while he headed to Quantico. He felt the urge to drink. To get away.

"Are you okay?" Will asked after thirty minutes of silence. He could see she wasn't asleep. She was breathing too hard to be unconscious.

That question confused her, no one – except Ardelia maybe – seemed to care if she was okay. _Was she ever okay?_

"He knows Buffalo Bill, or at least knows who he is," Clarice said. She saw Will's fist clench onto the steering wheel.

"He's playing us," Clarice said, "and he knows you're playing too, Will."

Clarice thought about the jealousy in the eyes of Hannibal Lecter, it was jealousy right? What were they, Will and Hannibal? Clarice wondered.

Will and Hannibal had been through so much, mentally and physically. She felt like the third wheel, somehow.

Somewhere in her thoughts, Clarice had fallen asleep.

The muzzled faces of Will and Hannibal combined in her head.

Random memories from her father spooking through her head.

Her mom yelling at her. Stress and the booze turning her into a monster.

Clarice bursting through the hospital doors making sure they wouldn't do it without her presence. She had to stop them.

Her tiny hands on her father's cold check at the funeral home. She never thought her warm, loving father could be reduced to a cold, empty body.

Her little brothers going to bed hungry because her mother hadn't enough money to have a warm meal for her children at the end of the month.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. It disturbed her from her dreams. They were like this every night.

"Clarice," she heard Will's voice far away. She jumped up. Clarice realised she was still in the car.

She recognised the streets of Quantico.

Clarice hoped that she didn't say or yell anything while she was sleeping. Will looked at her with big eyes. _Damn, he must have heard something. Fuck._

She thanked Will quicky and said her goodbyes before making a short walk to her dorm.

* * *

 **Sorry for the lack of new stuff. I feel like this is a boring chapter.**

 **Writing Alana into this in hard because she doesn't have a big part in the book. (She was actually a man in the book)Her role in the series is so huge so I have to puzzle her into the story. Comments are welcome :) I like talking to you guys. Thank you for the positive reviews. The grammar is being updated so please be patient.**

 **I'm currently writing chapter 14 and some interesting things are coming up from what really happened after 3x13 :D he he he**

 **Fan theories or HC are welcome. I'm open for everything. Thoughts on pairings, scenes. Surprise me.**

 **Have a nice day/night**


	12. Chapter 12

Clarice woke up several hours later, feeling reborn. She was confused about the time of the day but hoped she could manage it after a cup of coffee. _That was the most fucked up Friday night ever_ , Clarice thought. 3 PM was a very unusual time to wake up.

Ardelia was sitting at the dinner table studying some Federal Custody Codes, she looked happier than when Clarice had come home. It was saturday so that meant that she could relax and stay inside all day.

"Got some rest?" she asked while Clarice took the empty chair next to hers. She ignored her question and started telling her everything that had happened that night. That was the only thing that could make Dee shut up: a decent explaination.

Ardelia showed her an article on her iPad that stated "new turn in Buffalo Bill case", they already knew a lot. She was glad she wasn't named in the article. The last thing she needed was publicity. Nobody knew that Clarice was doing this, Jack wanted to keep it off the record for a reason.

Her friend asked questions at the right time and had gasped at the right moments. Clarice needed an opinion of a friend.

"Shit, I mean this is real," Delia was just as shocked as she was, "Jack's going to use you whenever it suits him probably."

"I know, Dee," Clarice replied. Jack was known to be a user.

"I don't want you to end like Miriam Lass," Ardelia ran her fingers through her braided hair.

"What does she have got to do with this?" Clarice didn't want to hear it.

Miriam Lass was Jack's protégée before Hannibal Lecter had abducted her. Then, he had cut of her arm and sent it to Jack's office. For fun. Crawford had stopped looking for her, assuming she was dead. Until they found her alive and well. She had lost her arm and a bit of her sanity. The FBI had abandoned her.

He had given her up so quickly. It made Jack look like a manipulative bastard who will abandon you as soon as he can, just like he did with Will.

Clarice knew she had to be careful but this was a huge opportunity to show off. This could be her way into the BSU.

"I know, Delia," she said. Ardelia didn't look satisfied.

"Thankfulness will fade away, and what have you got then, nothing," she said. Clarice thought of the fact that one day, Ardelia would be a great mother. But for now, she had to deal with Clarice as her child.

Clarice knew Jack Crawford will send her back to school if Lecter didn't ask for her. Now they found a body, a head to be correct, it was no longer child play. Jack Crawford had been the reason why she joined the FBI academy after he had given a reading at her college, she had looked up to him. But she know he wasn't trustworthy.

"What now?" Ardelia asked after she watched Clarice drink some coffee.

Clarice shrugged, still seeing the head with smudged make-up stare at her.

"Get some work done," she thought of her books waiting for her at her desk. Dee was right, she had to pass and focus on her studies. Because sooner or later Jack will send her back to school and forget her.

"Oh by the way, do you knew Hannibal Lecter and Dr. Bloom had a thing? I remember you mentioning it," Clarice knew Ardelia knew all the details. She even liked that trashy site of Freddie Lounds. Clarice saw her as a trashy Tabloid editor that lived on gossips and lies.

Ardelia smiled and got closer to Clarice as if the walls couldn't know what she was going to say. The edges of her lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"They were sleeping together," Clarice had heard her mention it when she was reading Chilton's book, everytime she had read some interesting fact, she'd read it aloud and Clarice would ignore it. That was months ago when Ardelia got curious about professor Graham.

"She seemed worried about Will, like really worried," Clarice started.

"Well, they were colleges and had a crush on each other but she didn't want to date someone unstable. Dr Chilton said that she had always been worried though about him," Ardelia said. Clarice rolled her eyes at that name and continued listening to Ardelia gossip. She made her smile and forget the awful situation for just a while. She returned back to her books, almost as if everything had gone back to normal.

* * *

Jack's car stopped in front of Will's house in Wolftrap. It looked quite abandoned and the white paint began to fade. Will didn't care anymore how his small house looked, or he just didn't notice it anymore.

His pack of dogs were gone, his ex-wife had kept them. Her son had grown quite attached to them and Will didn't want to take more from their lives than he had already took. Jack was surprised to find one dog barking at him when he got out of his car. _Old habits, Will._

The dog stopped barking at him but she still circled around him, wondering what he was doing here. So was he. _What was he doing here?_

Will waited for him at the door. He looked tired, this was not the man whose class he had walked in a few years ago.

"Will," Jack said as a form of greeting. Will sighed and held the door open for Jack to come inside.

"Luna stop," Will said. Luna stopped following Jack inside the house and went back outside through the back door. Jack looked at him.

"This is about last night, I guess," Will didn't look the piercing look that Jack gave him. He looked like he was going to shout.

"Yes, this about damn last night," he shouted.

"What sick game is Hannibal playing? I need to cover a damn trainee." Jack started pacing around the house.

"This happens every time, and then we, no you two, find a decapitated head of a Scandinavian silor."

Will waited until he was done. His latest hangover had left him with a serious headache. Jack's shouting wasn't really helping.

"What is he up too? Did you knew he knew that asshole? What is he going to do with Starling? He's going to put her in a dangerous situation, am I right?"

Will nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table.

"He's going to test her," Will sighed, "and it's too risky to send someone else in because he'll only want to talk to Clarice." Will felt a weird pain in his stomach. Was this the alcohol or jealousy?

"He's going to break her, just like you," Jack came really close to Will's scarred face. His eyes looked a little too long at his cheek. He frowned.

"I don't think-" Will started.

"YOU DON'T THINK WILL. HE'S ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD OF US AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO NEXT SO YOU NEED TO COOPERATE," Jack seemed to calm down a bit, he looked like a big angry cat, "or you are no use to me Will."

He was right. Will knew what Hannibal was going to do when it came to playing Clarice. But not to catch Buffalo Bill, Will wanted to save lives just as much as Jack wanted to.

But Will didn't want to get close to Hannibal because it would all come back to him. He knew that he couldn't control himself when he was with Hannibal.

"After I found the both of you-" Jack started. His eyes seemed to fill themselves with tears.

"I know Jack, I know," Will cut him off. Jack looked at him with disgust. _Please don't bring that up._

"What's so special about her, hm? Why is she so goddamn important to him?" Jack stared pacing around the room again. He needed to keep himself from starting to throw stuff around.

Will thought about that for a minute. He never expected Clarice would have this effect on Hannibal. Clarice was pretty and likeable. She looked like Abigail yes, but she was smarter, more sociable and self-determined to do her job well. Traumatised, Hannibal will soon get it out of Clarice, her forbidden darkness.

"His type," Will said casually.

"I don't want to have another Abigail Hobbs or a damn Miriam Lass, Will. I want to catch Buffalo Bill," Jack was right, blind but also right. He would give up 100 men to catch one.

"I know," Will rubbed his eyes.

Jack's eyes seemed to yell: that's not good enough. Will could never satisfy Jack. Now that Bella had passed away, Jack was more unbearable. His work was the only thing he had left.

"Keep an eye on her," Jack smacked the door with a loud bang. Luna entered a few seconds afterwards and looked at Will with big eyes. Will thought about them, Clarice and Hannibal playing a deathly cat and mouse game.

Will didn't know of he was a mouse or a cat; good or evil. He hoped it was somewhere in between.


	13. Chapter 13

Clarice was laying down in the grass. It was dark outside and the moon was shining brighter than normal. There was complete silence, like the calm before the storm.

She didn't get up, she lay there looking at the sky above her. Clarice started to wonder where she was. She got up ignoring the dizziness in her stomach.

Behind her there was an old shed, she recognised it. It was her uncle's, she had lived here once. A long time ago.

Her uncle owned a cattle ranch with horses and sheep. Clarice was still too young to realise the horrors that happened inside this barn.

She remembered how she had missed her father and her little brothers. How were they? Who was taking care of them, now that she was gone?

It hadn't really been her choice to move here. Her mother didn't have enough money for her and her brothers. Because she was the oldest, she needed to go live with her uncle and his wife. They were friendly but they weren't her real home. That home had died when her dad got shot.

Clarice relived the memories. Flashes of her youth branded on her eyes. Her own horror story coming to life. This barn had been the end of her last chance to live a normal life. She knew what she would find if she went inside.

She needed to save them, _all_ of them.

She moved her legs slowly, hoping that they would cooperate.

She was thankful for the cold breeze in her neck. There was already sweat forming on her forehead.

That's when she heard them, whining like little children.

When Clarice heard them for the first time, she thought it was the sound of a screaming child in some creepy film that her uncle loved. The noise didn't go away.

After all those years Clarice still knew the sound of screaming lambs.

Her feet seemed to move faster, now running to the opening of the barn. She needed to get them out. This time she needed to succeed. It seemed to take forever until she reached it.

It was dark inside. Her eyes needed to adjust to the surroundings. Everything was how she had remembered it, every single detail. The old wooden floor, high piles of hay and one single lamp to light the dark room.

She saw the silhouette of the screaming lambs. They just stood there, screaming in confusion and fear.

One silhouette was bigger than the others. She was not alone in here. Clarice couldn't tell who the man was or what he was doing in the dark. She got closer to him, trying to identify this stranger.

"Uncle Tom?" Clarice heard her own voice echo through the shed.

The silhouette stopped moving, the screaming continued.

"Clarice," she recognised Will's voice, "what are you doing in here?" His voice didn't sound surprised but calm, as if this was a casual situation.

As she got closer, she saw a pile of blood under Will's feet. Will was shaking, just like she saw him do at the crime scene in Baltimore. Clarice could tell he was holding a small knife in his left hand.

"Move away, Will," she told him. She wished she had her gun with her.

Will ignored her and continued doing what he was doing before she came in the barn. Everytime he moved his arm, the screaming became louder and louder.

It was unbearable to listen to. Clarice sunk to her knees and tried to crawl to Will. The noise made her ears bleed, it was the most unhuman sound in the world.

After a minute of crawling there was no screaming anymore, Clarice was still laying on the ground. Will stopped moving and got up. His face and shirt were covered in blood, hands trembling. He dropped his knife on the ground. Will looked at his work, proud and satisfied.

That's when she saw them. Their little lifeless bodies covered in blood behind Will. Clarice gasped for air. Their throats were sliced.

Clarice felt the tears burn in her eyes and the anger in her veins. She jumped up, closed the small gap between her and Will and pushed him over. Clarice hit him in his face but Will fought back. They were rolling on the bloody floor, trying to overthrow the other.

She dug her fingernails in his face while he punched her in the stomach which resulted in Clarice gasping for air. Will's body weight put an end to her struggling.

Will's expression changed when he saw her face. His grip seemed to lose a bit. Clarice started to resist again. Her breathing was heavy. Will seemed to fight an inner battle.

"Will, do it," a new voice said. It took Clarice a while to realise that the voice belonged to Dr. Lecter. He was standing a few feet away from them. Like he had been watching all this time, enjoying the view. His eyes seemed to shine in the dark, Clarice noticed.

Will's breathing got worse, his eyes seemed to search the floor for the knife he had dropped earlier. Clarice used his distraction to kick him in the crotch. Will rolled off her in pain. She got up and kicked him in his belly.

Clarice searched for the knife, in case Will would go after her again. She tried to avoid looking at the little bodies on her left. There was nothing she could do for them.

Dr. Lecter had disappeared. She didn't trust this situation for one moment. She needed to get out of here as fast as she could.

Clarice ran to the exit only to be stopped by a tall figure standing in the way. Clarice almost ran into the figure in her attempt to get away from Will. She recognised the red eyes and the smirk on his face. Clarice tried to back off as fast as possible.

"Hello Clarice," Dr. Lecter said. He was out of his prison suit, wearing other clothes. There wasn't a spatter of blood on him. His evil grin made her shiver.

When she turned around, trying to get away from Hannibal Lecter, she bumped into Will. He was faster than her this time and dug his harpy deep into her belly. Clarice fell to her knees, Will followed her movement. He placed his hand on her left cheek and made shushing noises. Clarice had the feeling that all air was drawn from her lungs, then she felt the pain.

"My design," Will mumbled as he watched her die slowly in front of her. He seemed to enjoy the life bleeding out of Clarice Starling. He held her, not like someone caring but like someone who wanted to see the life fade away from her body. Hannibal had always told him that a knife was more intimate than a gun.

The last thing Clarice saw was Hannibal Lecter watch her, over Will's shoulder. He rested his hand on Will's shoulder and whispered something in his ear that Clarice couldn't understand.

That's when everything went black.

Clarice woke up covered in tears and sweat. It was just a dream. Her hand touched her belly, there was no wound. Nothing.

She still felt Hannibal Lecter's eyes pierce right through her.


	14. Chapter 14

When Clarice entered Jack's office, she saw Will sleeping on the couch. Jack Crawford was nowhere to be seen. She closed the door very carefully, not wanting to disturb Will.

Last night he had murdered her in her dreams. She still felt the knife piercing through her, the blood. Will under Hannibal's control.

She shook the thought of him being a murderer off.

 _He had killed people, in self-defence though._

She took a seat in the chair where Jack had given her first task to interview Hannibal Lecter.

Clarice watched Will sleep. He stirred a lot, but didn't yell like she did at night. From where she was sitting, she could see the dark circles under his eyes. _Are you the monster everyone claims you to be?_

How long had he been here?

Suddenly Jack walked in. Clarice jumped up, making a gesture to him that Will was sleeping.

Jack looked from Clarice to Will, frowned and closed the door with a loud bang before dropping a big pack of dossiers on his desk.

Jack hadn't forgotten his conversation with Will a few hours earlier.

Will opened his eyes, shocked about Clarice and Jack's sudden presence.

"How long have you been here?" Jack was suspicious. Will took the seat next to hers. He seemed disturbed, his hands were shaking again.

"Just a few minutes, sir," Clarice replied. She would never snoop around in his office.

"Half an hour," Will said rubbing his eyes.

He smiled slightly when he saw Clarice looking at him. Will started to realise Clarice was paying attention to his mental state. Not openly like Alana but more like Molly looked after him.

"We know the man was indeed a Swedish sailor name Klaus Dam, 34 years old. Went missing a few years ago," Jack sighed, "Lecter was right."

"What did he say?" Will asked. He hadn't been there last night, Clarice presumed he'd get a transcript of what Hannibal Lecter had said.

Clarice looked confused at Will to Jack. She understood being in the prison was hard for him because he'd been there himself. But this was something else. Will couldn't be involved for some reason.

"I thought you knew," Clarice didn't understand any of this crap.

Jack looked nervous.

"Alright, then." Jack focused on his computer, looking for the right file.

"You can just tell me wh-" Will started when he knew Jack was doing.

" _Hello Dr Lecter."_ Clarice heard her own voice on tape. Oh god no.

" _Hello Clarice,"_ Lecter's voice echoed through Jack's office. There was silence, she remembered how Dr. Lecter had stepped out of the darkness.

She looked at Jack. How could he do this to Will? When Clarice woke up, she did something she had never expected herself to do: google Will Graham.

She found pictures of his trial where he was declared innocent. From crime scenes. Mostly Freddie Lounds. She had been sceptical about but Clarice had to admit that Lounds had gained a lot of Clarice's respect after reading some of her articles.

Hannibal and Will being friendly as if it was normal that a cannibalistic serial killer and a disturbed FBI profiler were working together. Clarice wondered how the FBI could have been that blind. He was right in front of you, Jack. You were dining with the devil. Quite literally.

There was an article where Frederick Chilton stated on the record that Hannibal Lecter "made a lot of jokes about eating his tongue and dropped a lot of cannibal puns". Dollarhyde had read this article too probably.

Clarice got more and more confused about the skills of the FBI. She was going to join a group of idiots very soon. The FBI had been very unprofessional by believing a psychopath could never intrude their high ranges. Oh boy, they had been so wrong.

She remembered the strict screening procedures to start at the FBI academy. The psych evaluations never seemed to cease.

Some articles about Hannibal and Alana Bloom, who had been consulted by the FBI. Just like Hannibal Lecter. They had a thing before he was caught.

Will Graham and Jack Crawford found bleeding to death in Hannibal Lecter's house.

Alana Bloom broke her back after falling out of a window.

The daughter of the Minnesota Shrike, Abigail Hobbs, was found dead. Her throat had been cut.

And Lecter was nowhere to be found.

" **Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper** " followed by:

 **"Murder Husbands spotted in Florence** " Clarice was confused by that nickname at first.

Then there was the death of Francis Dollarhyde, or more the manslaughter of the Great Red Dragon. Hannibal and Will had killed him. Together.

Freddie had snapped a photo of what was left of him.

There had been a great fight afterwards between Hannibal and Will where Lecter had tried to kill Will by throwing him of a cliff. Clarice found that hard to believe.

Lecter wanted to flee the country instead of getting back to prison so Will had to die.

Hannibal had failed and both men had fallen of the cliff, into the sea.

With Will heavily injured, Hannibal had captured and brainwashed Will until the FBI had found them again.

After she had done her research, Clarice felt worse about everything. She should have done this before she first visited Hannibal Lecter. Will Graham wasn't the person she thought he was, he was a killer, manipulator and a criminal. Clarice needed to be careful when she was around him.

Her nightmare had been a wakeup call.

" _You found my Valentine's Gift?"_ Hannibal Lecter's voice again. Clarice didn't want to hear this again.

She looked at Will, he looked more distressed than ever. Why was Jack doing this to him?

Jack was also staring at Will, focussing on his reaction.

Clarice stared at the tip of her shoes, not wanting to look at Jack or Will anymore. She felt embarrassed somehow. Trying to think about something else failed.

" _How's dear Will, Clarice?"_ that's when Will got up and left the room without saying anything.

Jack stopped the recording and looked at Clarice.

"Why did you do that?" Clarice asked almost angry.

"I wondered how he would react," Jack said.

"Mr. Crawford, I need to ask you this. Is he capable of doing this? He looks very unstable and I know I'm not in this position to say that but I just wanted to let you know."

Jack listened to Clarice. He needed to keep her on his good side and she had already proved herself in this chaos. She could be of use as soon she'd graduate.

"This is just between you and me, Starling. No, he was never capable of doing this. Never," Jack said.

Clarice raised an eyebrow.

"You can't trust him. Especially when Hannibal Lecter is involved. You need to watch out he's not playing you," Jack said.

"Will of Dr. Lecter?" she swallowed hard.

"Both," Jack said.

"I don't know on whose side he's on," was Jack's conclusion when Clarice didn't respond.

"Why did he run away?" Clarice asked him. Hey eyes were focussed on the scar in his neck.

"He had promised me to stay away from Hannibal Lecter after.. all that had happened." Clarice nodded. She didn't knew what he meant exactly. The running away with a cannibal part, she guessed.

"How did he behave himself in the field the other day?" Jack asked her in return.

"He was shaking at the crime scene, hands trembling from… addiction, he seemed disoriented, confused. Not violent, more scared," Clarice said.

"And a the hospital?"

"Will waited in the car," Clarice thought about Alana, she thought it was better if she didn't bring her up. Alana looked like the type that wanted to go in mysterious ways.

Jack sighed.

"Keep an eye on him," he ordered her, "and keep up the good work." He force himself to smile at her. Clarice reminded him of the daughter he never had. The only thing he regretted in life is that he didn't have any kids.

"I'll do, sir. Thank you," Clarice said with a light smile.

"We're going to investigate this further, maybe I'm going to need your help again. It's better for your schoolwork and Will's sanity that I give you two some time off," Jack said.

And knowing Jack that would be like two days, Clarice thought.

"Do I need to search for Will?" she asked while getting up.

"If you can find him," Jack said. Clarice smile politely and said goodbye before closing the door behind her.

* * *

Will needed to get out of that room. Clarice and Hannibal's conversation did hurt him, he needed time for himself. Space to breathe.

He had left Jack's office and looked for a place to be alone. This was what happened if he saw way too many people. It would become too much.

He could see flashes. Hannibal's blooded shirt, the rocks, the waves. He remembered the fall. It wasn't the fall that nearly killed him. It was the landing.

After a few minutes Clarice walked in. Offcourse did she knew where he would go. Will sat on the ground, his back against the wall. He hope that he wouldn't see him but she knew he'd be around here somewhere.

"There you are," she said. Will didn't say anything. He hoped that she'd go away if he ignored her. He was wrong.

She sat next to him, copied his position and said nothing. Will continued to ignore her but after a while it grew harder and harder to ignore her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

She smiled at him.

"I could ask you the same. Why did you run away?" Clarice asked. Will looked at her.

Will opened his mouth to answer her but he shut himself up and shook his head.

"It's him right?" Clarice asked him in a way only Abigail could have asked this. _He had made a place for us to be together. All of us._ She had been wrong and now she was gone.

"You know that, Clarice," Will said quickly. _You need to watch out he's not playing you,_ Jack had told her.

She sighed.

"Sorry that Jack did that," she said, "confronting you with that tape."

"It wasn't your fault," his blue eyes locked into hers, "what did Hannibal say?"

 _You can't be the monster everyone is talking about. It can't be._

Clarice told him, calmly. She made sure she didn't upset him or anything. Will nodded and returned to staring at his shoes. They remained there sitting in silence.

"Thank you for this," Will said.

"For what? Sitting in a half dark room in silence with my teacher whining about our pasts?" she smiled at him.

Will smirked.

"Kind of," he said.

"I'm going back to studying, anyway so," Clarice said. Jack had kindly pronounced that he'll handle things from now on. She was sad but happy to get back to easier things, things from books. For now. She still wanted to join the BSU.

"He sent you back to school?" Will asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. I think that's what he meant," Clarice said.

"We both know that he will call on you again soon, he's desperate. Hannibal will only talk to you, Jack needs you." Will said.

He didn't like that Clarice would leave, he liked her company.

At least she wasn't a psycho killer who abused his imagination to frame him for murder.


	15. Chapter 15

_Dear Will,_

 _It had come to my attention that you are consulting with the FBI again. Foolish don't you think? They were the one that took everything from you. Molly, Walter, Alana and me. I don't believe the FBI has changed much since my imprisonment._

 _I know you don't want to see me anymore, Will. I know that you are behind Clarice Starling. I knew from the moment she walked in with your scent all over her. Ms Starling had told me that you're not romantically involved when I asked her. How unfortunate for you, William._

 _Offcourse I have offered my help to Ms. Starling and the FBI. We both know that I'm not insane and that the information I have is indeed valuable. Ask Jack and your new partner in crime. And good luck trying not to be attracted to the job. Do you still see me in your dreams? I don't know where you are or what you are doing but I can assure you Will: some of our stars are the same._

 _Your friend,_

 _Hannibal Lecter MD_

Will held the letter in his hand, and in the other a bottle of vodka. The liquor made it hard to understand what Hannibal meant. Maybe it was better this way.

He threw the letter into the fireplace and saw how the flames licked at the thick piece of paper.

Luna started pacing around again. Her eyes followed Will's movements.

Abigail and Clarice's face mixed inside his thoughts, both dying in his dreams, in his arms. He could feel the wendigo's eyes upon him, satisfied.

 _You don't want me to have anything that's not you._

Alana. Jack. Beverly. Molly. Margot. Walter. Even Clarice…

Even with Hannibal Lecter in prison and Will escaping his convictions, he'd never be safe from Hannibal Lecter. Will was not sure if he wanted to be safe.

They were both lost without each other.

* * *

The sound of a gunshot. Another one. Clarice was happy that she was wearing earbuds. The .44 that she was holding in her right hand was getting hotter and hotter everytime she had fired a bullet. The target was 100 feet ay from her, the big yellow pillow presumed to be a man.

Clarice was a great shot. She could feel the cool breeze in her face while she poured her bullets into the dummy.

One. Two. Three.

Ready. Aim. Fire. Reload.

Clarice felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Mr. Brigham, he smiled at her.

"Starling, I need you outside," he said with his low voice. The rest was still trying to hit their dummy.

Clarice saw Ardelia struggling trying to reload her gun. She was lucky her swearing had been covered by the gunshots.

Clarice was surprised by his words. Did she do anything wrong?

She took the bullets out of her gun and placed it carefully on the desk right beside her. She followed Brigham's massive figure outside.

John Brigham was a teacher in Quantico and had been in the marine. He didn't really teach Clarice anything but he liked her. A woman who could handle a gun properly during the first lesson, that was impressive.

She was the best shot of her class. All the men felt intimidated by her presence at the shooting range which made John happy because they were all jerks.

Before Clarice left the room, she saw her name on the first spot on the clock with the top 10 shooters. That made her smile a bit.

As soon they were alone, Brigham started talking.

"They found a body in a river in Virginia. Buffalo Bill's work. Graham and Crawford asked for your help," he said while he walked faster.

Clarice was surprised. It had been 3 days since Jack Crawford had told her 'to get some rest'. Or this was all Will.

"What happens now?" she asked him. He led her to his office.

"You're going to pack for two days, get a few clothes," he walked up to a small cupboard and gave Clarice a small wooden box. It contained a small handgun, it was better quality than she was used to.

She looked at Brigham for a reason, why would she need this?

"On my supervision. You know how to handle it. Use it well," he said. She felt honoured that _the_ John Brigham trusted her with a gun. He always joked that the trainees were worse shooters than his own grandma.

Clarice looked down at the gun in her hands. "You okay?" he asked her. Clarice was thinking about the dead girl in the river back home. Brigham said Virginia. All the way back home, her real home. She wondered if Will knew that.

The woman nodded. "Offcourse, sir," she said, "surprised to be honest."

He smiled at young woman, he knew she'd do great things when she'd graduate in a year. He was happy to see that Jack had noticed her talent. John hoped he wouldn't take advantage of her.

* * *

"Three days," Will heard Clarice's voice from the door. He turned to her, seeing her standing with a packed bag. Jack had called him an hour ago that another girl had been found.

"I told you Jack needed you," Will said with a soft smirk.

"Don't know if I should be smiling in this situation," she said while she sat down next to him. She could feel the gun inside her pocket. It felt uncomfortable to be armed at school.

Will thought about that for a second, he hoped that her presence could help him ground to reality.

"Why exactly am I here?" she asked.

"We needed someone to assist Brian Zeller, now that Price is on vacation. He refused to fly back from Haiti," he paused and tried to look into her eyes "and Jack thinks that you have a calming effect on me."

Clarice felt her cheeks blush. She tried to hide it.

"So you need me to help examine a body?" she was talking more to herself than him. She had done this before. But now Jack, Will and Zeller would be there. She was just a rookie compared to a real crime scene investigator.

"How bad is it?" she asked him. Clarice knew what the papers said but seeing the body up close, in real life. Both exiting and equally disgusting.

* * *

Jaimee looked merciless over Fredericka's dead body. Now that the life inside her eyes had vanished forever, he felt no longer stressed. Her yelling and sobbing had ceased. Forever.

She was gone, what she had left him was something useful. Her could turn her body into something beautiful.

He had indeed kept his promise when he had told her that he could make some beautiful clothes for her… from her.

His hands trailed over her back, caressing the skin underneath Jaimee's long, skinny fingers. Starving her had made the skin easier to remove. When he had removed the parts that he wanted , he threw her off the table. She was no longer use for him. Precious the dog barked enthusiastically at the naked, dead girl.

Jaimee knelt next to her and stared at Fredericka's meaningless face for a while, searching for an emotion deep inside him. There was nothing. That's when he opened her mouth and put the cocoon of the death head's moth deep inside her throat.


	16. Chapter 16

Clarice inhaled the air from Virginia, she hadn't been here in more than 10 years. Her home, or what it used to be, was not far away. A two-hour drive. Clarice, Will, Jack, Zeller and some others had flown to Virginia a few hours earlier.

Clarice had tried to hide her sadness that she was going home. It wasn't a long flight. Will and her had seen the photos of the naked girl near the Elk River on an iPad.

Clarice had pointed out the diamond-like gapes on her back. She had notice Will's goosebumps on his arms when she spoke.

"I want to see the location," Will said to Jack, on the opposite table of them.

"Then I'll go with you," Clarice smiled softly. Jack looked satisfied that she'd keep an eye on Will.

There she was, leaning against their rented car while the two accompanying Virginian police men were talking to each other about what the best route was to get to the riverside. Their accent was thick and pure, not like hers.

They didn't seem to like Will and Clarice, maybe it was because they were FBI. Virginians liked to mind their own business. Will was quite famous for catching Hannibal Lecter. And the left side of his face looked like a Picasso painting. And because Clarice was a woman, she could feel their eyes piercing through her. Never looking in her eyes, but at her breasts. Not subtle at all.

Will was quite, which meant that he was nervous. Or maybe because he couldn't drink when Clarice was with him. After the two stocky men were done arguing they lead them to a path. The crime scene wasn't guarded at all. No one would know what horrible thing was discovered earlier that day. Clarice and her father used to go hiking and fishing in places like these.

These woods brought memories up that she thought she had forgotten. She remembered their times together, hoping to pause the time and go back. No FBI, no screaming lambs, no loneliness.

Her father had learned her how to fish. Clarice remembered the cold day in March in 1999 where she had caught her first brook trout. Her mother had taken a picture of her father and her, smiling at her like a proud father while she tried to hold the huge fish up. Clarice still had that photo, it had hung on the fridge before Clarice, her mother and her brothers had to move out of their house after the death of her father. Her mother didn't realise Clarice had taken it with her, she didn't care at all. Clarice had looked at that picture every night for the rest of her life.

Throughout the years the image started fading but Clarice had managed to save it by using an expensive spray to make sure the colours didn't fade.

"Clarice" she heard her father say inside her head. This wasn't real, he was dead. Gone forever.

"Clarice," Will looked at her ,"you okay?" She swallowed hard.

"Yeah," she lied. Will noticed but he didn't want to ask her. The path was longer than they expected it to be.

Clarice was focussed on her environment, wondering how that girl ended up here. How far had her body drifted into the river before they had found her? Ten miles? 90 miles? She had been transported to the nearest funeral home. They would get to her later.

She had been the sixth, soon the seventh girl will be taken. They had to catch him. Soon. He'll never stop.

When they reached the location, the officers sat down on the nearest rock, looking expectantly at Will and Clarice. They had never seen the FBI live at work. "Could you two set a perimeter, please?" Clarice asked them, trying to not sound Virginian. The men looked at each other and back to Clarice before they left. They knew what she meant. _Fuck off_.

Clarice looked at him, he had his eyes closed. She had never seen this before. Will was talking to himself, or her. Clarice wasn't entirely sure. He didn't look like himself, like he was pretending to be someone else.

"I didn't put you here. You are no longer use for me. I already took what I needed. I don't want them to find you, not you. You helped me become closer to God.. to be God." Clarice gasped. "I didn't want you to feel what I'm going to do to you. I couldn't let you go, you were perfect. I am.. reborn."

Clarice was scared for a moment when Wil fell to his knees tying some invisible knot. She rushed over to him, he was shaking hard. "Will," she kept shouting repeatedly. He had stopped talking but his eyes were still closed.

He looked scared when he opened his eyes, meeting Clarice's worried ones. She had put her arm on his shoulder, not sure if for protection or as a soothing gesture.

"What did you see, Will?" she asked.

"Just her," Will said while he got up quickly, almost falling over from dizziness.

"Was she the first one?" Clarice asked him when he stormed off.

Will stopped and looked at her. He had never looked this disturbed before.

"You said you didn't want to find her, especially her," Clarice shouted.

Will thought at that for a minute but said nothing. Had he said that? He felt anxious about what he had just done. Inside another serial killer's mind, or was he inside his mind? He had to shake off this horrible feeling. He knew Clarice was keeping an eye on him.

He needed a drink so bad.

* * *

When they arrived at the funeral home. Zeller was standing outside. "Zeller," he said with a charming smile when he saw Clarice. Clarice smiled awkwardly and shook his hand, "Starling". Will rolled his eyes before he followed them into the room. Jack was standing near the examination table. The first thing Clarice noticed was the smell. Rotting human flesh.

"She might have been his first victim," Will said, "It just took a while for us to find her body."

"Do we know who she is?" Clarice asked him.

"Frederika Bimmel. She's from Belvedrere, Ohio." Jack looked unhappy.

"How did she end up here?" Clarice asked.

"Maybe the killer is from around here?" Zeller suggested.

"No, he wouldn't be that stupid," Will said.

"He didn't want us to find her right away, maybe he made a mistake with her," Clarice said.

The four of them looked at the naked girl on the autopsy table. Size 14. Blonde hair. Quite pretty. Pale. She was laying on her belly, so it was hard to ignore the two gigantic holes on her back.

Clarice put on blue, plastic gloves so she could touch her. She took Frederika's hands in hers. Her finger nails were long, some were broken. There was blood underneath them.

Clarice felt Brian's eyes on her. "Her own blood," he said. Brian was that guy that didn't liked being corrected. "She didn't scratch him?" she said.

"He keeps them alive for three days, then he shoots them and takes their skin," Jack said.

"So nothing unusual?" Will asked.

"Not yet," Brian Zeller said.

"No sexual abuse?" Clarice asked him.

"She was tied up, maybe she was a tough one huh?" he smiled at her. Clarice was disgusted by that rude comment. Because she was heavier set? Her expression made Zeller focus on Frederika again.

"Can you help me turn her around?" she asked him. There must be something about her that made her special. Will walked over to Clarice, he wanted to see Frederika through Clarice' eyes. He liked watching her at work.

Clarice touched her face, she wanted to check her teeth. She had once read about a killer who mutilated his victims teeth. Nothing. Fredricka's throat looked swollen. She used a light to shine inside her throat. Her throat had a very unusual colour.

"I think she's got something in her throat," Clarice said.

"Lots of times they're like leaves and stuff in their mouth. She's been in the water for a long time," Brian said.

Will took a step closer. Clarice ignored Brian's comment and grabbed a forceps from the plate next to her. She stretched Fredericka's mouth open to get out whatever was inside of her. Clarice felt a small, oblong object inside her throat. She took it out of her and put it into a basket.

"Anyone knows how this got in there?" Clarice wondered. Everyone gathered around her to look at the cocoon of the insect. Jack frowned. Will looked more confused than ever before.

* * *

Will felt nothing but the wind. Then the landing in the water. Will felt a sharp object piercing trough him, rocks. The water was everywhere, he was surrounded by darkness. He felt the water filling up his lungs. _Fade away into the stream Will._

He lost consciousness with the thought that he did a good job. He and Hannibal gone. Faded. Will felt the change. _This is all I ever wanted for you, Will._ His becoming. Will had killed a man in cold blood. Not with a gun this time, a knife. More personal. This was wrong, so wrong. Not the murder of Francis Dolarhyde but the feeling Will got while murdering him, in self-defence but still murder. He felt alive, like he was embracing his true nature. Hannibal knew. _This is so wrong._

Will knew there was no more going back after this point. He imagined Hannibal and him finishing off the others while he embraced him. Jack, Alana, the rest. No. No. Is Hannibal in love with me? _Yes, but do you ache for him?_ Yes, yes he did.

And in that moment when he was staring at Hannibal's lips, he pushed themselves over the edge of the cliff...


	17. Chapter 17

Clarice stopped in front of the Smithsonian. Will had slept the whole ride. He behaved different after that moment by the river. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't got any sleep since that moment.

Clarice watched him sleep for a moment. He had mumbled things in his sleep. She made a list inside her head of what he said. He kept repeating Hannibal's name a few times. Saying Abigail's name out loud made him very uneasy. He stirred a lot, something that made her stressy.

Alana seemed to be very worried about him when they had met. Were the rumours true? Has she slept with both Hannibal and Will?

Will was still sleeping when he said Clarice's name. Soft, like the wind. Then his facial expression changed. Like he was witnessing something inside his dream that was horrible. Clarice instinctively put her hand on his shoulder and yelled his name. His eyes flashed open, he was breathing heavily. She noticed the thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

"Clarice" he said again.

"You were having a dream," she shushed him. He looked at her in confusion.

"I can't keep ignoring this, you know?" she said. "What is going on?" she asked when he remained silent. He looked at her hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me," she said, squeezing his shoulder softly.

Will had killed her inside his nightmare. Again and again. Hannibal made him so it. He had no control, there was only his influence. She was so close to him when she woke him up. Worried.

She was alive. It had only been a dream.

"I see a lot of terrible things when I close my eyes," he said.

"Are you seeing Hannibal?" she asked. Using Dr. Lecter's first name felt uncomfortable on her lips. Will thought about that.

"I see him too, you know," she said while she looked at the passengers. He looked at her. "I don't know if that's supposed to happen. But I'm not scared or anything… I feel troubled because I know he knows Buffalo Bill but he won't tell me…us…" she looked at her knees. Uncomfortable.

"Hannibal has his ways to get inside someone's head," Will said.

 _But this is only the beginning, Clarice._

"I'm scared too. Afraid that I'm slipping into the darkness again," Will said. Killing together. Side by side. He couldn't embrace it, the darkness. His darkness. Will would not accept it, he had to stop this lethal relationship. Hannibal had been caught by Will's betrayal.

 _No innocent bloodshed this time. When it comes to you and me, there can be no decisive victory._

"You've got me this time, partners in crime. I mean.. you know," Clarice smiled. Idiot stop talking, she told herself.

Will liked that she was honest and spontaneous. Two character traits no one in the FBI had. There was no reading to do with her, she was an open book. Maybe only to him, because she wanted him to not be scared of her. The lamb that had survived a visit to the lions lair.

"I know," he smiled a bit. He softly touched her shoulder. He didn't like physical contact, but Clarice always tried to sooth him with small gestures. She leaned in to his touch, smiling at him just a little.

* * *

"Will," Clarice called out for him. She was standing in front of a big collection with foreign insects.

"Check it out," she pointed to a familiar shaped cocoon of the one they had found inside Frederika Bimmel's throat.

"Could be ours," he said, trying to sound casual with all the tourists surrounding them.

"Come on, let's go," he said.

Their names were Roden and Pilcher. Both entomologists. Clarice had always admired the people who wanted to be around these insects for every single day for the rest of their lives and even enjoy it. They worked in a little lab at the back of the Smithsonian.

Almost hidden away since no one really cared a lot about insects anymore in the twenty-first century. True, Clarice and Will would have googled it but that's not how the FBI rolls. They needed an expert who could tell them a little more about the background of the mysterious bug.

Pilcher was a tall guy with a freckles and greasy hair. Roden was the older one. He had ginger, curly hair and was smaller. They looked like they completed each other.

They were having an argument about the screeching insect in the bottle right in front of them. The room was very dark, probably to not upset the insects. The walls were lined with mounted insects, in all shapes and sizes.

"Gentlemen, Special Agent Graham and Special Agent Starling. FBI," Will held his batch up long enough to look official. Clarice tried to hide her laugh because neither Will nor she were real FBI Agents. At least she wasn't.. yet.

They looked surprised to see them. Pilcher had to adjust his huge glasses when he saw Clarice. Roden and Pilcher looked at each other for a brief moment. Maybe they knew who Will was, Clarice thought. Or they were shocked that they saw actual people in here.

"Right off course, they called us that you were going to visit.. yes" said the older one, Roden, he looked a little confused at the intrusion of their dispute.

"Is this about the body they found earlier?" Picher asked Roden.

"That's not relevant, gentlemen," Clarice said while she got the bug cocoon out of her bag and stepped into the light of the small dissection table in the middle of the room.

"Can you tell us more about this?" Will said when he joined Clarice in the light of the dissection table.

Roden took the bottle and looked at it carefully before passing it to his college. Pilcher looked at it in awe.

"Where the hell did this one come from? It's practically mush," Pilcher said.

"We found it in Virgina," Clarice said, "You really don't want to know _where_ exactly we found it."

"We used to narrow down his species through chaetaxy, the study of the skin" Roden said.

"But that's not always precise so-"

"We need to dissect it-"

"And run it through a data bank-"

"So if you don't mind us slicing it open-"

"No it's okay. We need all the information we can get," Will said, looking at Clarice.

He didn't like the younger one who couldn't keep his eyes off Clarice. Will saw flashes of himself putting the cocoon inside Frederika Bimmel's throat. He tried to shake the horrible thought off. Clarice gave him a soft poke when she saw him daydreaming. She raised an eyebrow but he shook his head.

The four of them were hunched over the table, peering through square magnifiers into stainless trays. Clarice watched curiously how Roden was studying the cocoon.

"So what do you do when you're not detecting, Agent Starling?" Picher asked her without looking up. _Is he flirting with me?_

"I try to do justice, Dr. Pilcher," Clarice said cold but politely.

"Ever get out for cheeseburgers and beer? No, you look more like a girl who prefers wine.." he continued. _Oh no._

Clarice felt Will move uncomfortably next to her. _Me too, Will._

"I spend time with my boyfriend when I'm off duty, Dr. Pilcher," Clarice said. That was a lie, there was no one. But she had learned quickly that guys had more respect for another man than a woman rejecting them.

"Oh, I understand," Picher said quickly before looking a bit too long at Will. The expression on Will's face made Pilcher regret every word he had said to Clarice. Will took a step closer to Clarice because he knew that would scare Pilcher off to ever open his mouth again if it wasn't about the case.

"Positive match" Roden said.

"You're sure?" Will asked. Roden pointed something out with his dental probe. Clarice saw the wide, furry, brown back of the moth. And there, right between the wing bases, was the nature's perfect reproduction of a ghostly-looking human skull.

"Meet Mister Acherontia Styx," Roden paused dramatically, "better known as the Death's-head Moth."

"The Latin name comes from two rivers in Hell. Your man - he drops these girls into rivers, every time. Didn't I read that?" Pilcher asked.

Clarice looks up at Will full of excitement, almost trembling.

"And there's no way - no natural way - these could've wound up in the bodies?" Will asked.

Pilcher shook his head.

"They live in Malaysia. In America, they'd have to be specially raised, from imported eggs."

"Who even wants to breed these animals?" Clarice sighed.

* * *

Catherine Martin took a long toke from a bong pipe. She was a tall, big-boned, rather fleshy girl with long brown hair. Her head was resting on the lap of her boyfriend Cody. They were watching whatever crap that was on TV on a Saturday night.

"This stuff is giving me a headache," she giggled, "Where's that bag of popcorn?"

"Shit. Left the groceries in the car," Cody said. He started to rise, but Catherine pushed him back.

"I'll go, babe," she said while she almost tripped over her cat.

Catherine shut the door of her car with her arm while she held the grocery bag in the other. It was already dark and misty outside.

A tall man a few cars away caught her attention. He was standing at the open rear door of a brown panel truck. His right forearm was in a cast and sling. He seemed to be struggling with an armchair that he was trying to hoist into the back of the truck.

Catherine hesitated, then walked towards the man.

"Can I help you with that?" Catherine asked. The man looked up in surprise.

"Would you? Thank you so much," he stammered. His voice was odd and very soft.

He looked kinda goofy to Catherine and she felt sorry for him that he didn't get any help from other people.

She looked around. No one was out here, except for the both of them.

She put the bag down. Catherine couldn't get a good look at his face.

Together, they easily lifted the chair into the truck.

"Let's slide it up, if you don't mind?" he spoke. Catherine realised that his voice gave her goosebumps but still she did not protest. The mysterious man climbed inside the truck. She hesitated again, but followed him. The chair got easily in the car.

"Are you a size 14?" he asked on a calm tone.

"Excuse me?" she asked confused.

Suddenly he hit her on her head with his cast. She moaned and fell unconscious on the floor of his van.

The man pulled off his cast and tossed it aside. He shut the door behind him, making sure no one was watching him take what was now his. He grabbed a torchlight and bend over her to watch Catherine.

The man didn't express any emotion at all. He peeled back the collar of her blouse to read the size tag. Size 14. _Good. Very good._

Then, he carefully slit her blouse up with a pair of bandage scissors, making sure he didn't do anything to her beautiful skin. He peeled the two sides of her shirt apart. She was not wearing a bra. His hands stroke her bare skin. Like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Jaimee was pleased to know that he could continue his masterpiece very soon.


	18. Chapter 18

Jack Crawford told Clarice later that day that Zeller had found a cocoon inside Raspail's head. Jack sounded more frustrated than usual. He had ordered Clarice and Will to go home and leave this to him. Temporarily. Clarice wondered if she would ever see Dr. Lecter again. She assumed the first thing Will would do when he got home, is open a new bottle.

Clarice didn't get any rest when she got back home, after dropping Will at his house. Ardelia sat with her arms crossed on the sofa.

"Clarice, sit down," she said with a serious face. Clarice obeyed.

"You're never home, so tonight on our free night- no let me finish- and you're coming with me. Promise?" she continued.

Clarice sighed, "Okay, sure." She was tired and wanted to get some sleep. But Clarice knew she was right, Clarice was always busy with studying or assisting Mr. Crawford and Will. And she missed her best friend.

Ardelia smiled. "Now tell me everything," she laughed.

"That's confidential and you know it," Clarice returned the smile.

"How's Professor Graham?" Ardelia asked with a smirk on her face. Clarice rolled her eyes at that question.

"How's Andrew?" Clarice asked in return. Andrew was a guy in her class and Ardelia's latest crush. Delia threw a pillow in her face in response. "Right, right, I'll stop," Clarice said manically.

"And if he's in town tonight and he turns out to be an asshole, you'll be my lesbian girlfriend, right?" Ardelia asked.

"Oh come on," Clarice shouted.

* * *

Ardelia agreed that Clarice had a short nap before joining her. The last couple of hours had made her tired. It was the first time that she didn't have a nightmare about screaming lambs. Or Dr. Lecter. Or Will slicing her open.

The students in Quantico were allowed to leave the campus once in a while. Tonight was a night like that. Ardelia was already looking forward to nights like these. Clarice preferred staying at home but that was not an option when you were living with an extrovert roommate. Clarice, Ardelia and some fellow classmates had agreed to meet in a local pub.

Clarice was on her way to their meeting spot when she saw a familiar figure sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, a few blocks from the bar. She parked her old mustang to make sure it was him.

Will was sitting there, like a true alcoholic. Confused, bitter, bruised, broken.

"Will?" she tried. He looked up at her, vaguely recognising the figure in front of him. She kneeled in front of him.

"Clarice," he recognised the girl in front of him. His sleepy reaction reminded her of her mother when she had too much to drink.

Clarice took Will's hands into hers, they were cold. He was helpless, she had to take him home or he would lay here all night. Clarice looked at her watch, 11PM. She would have to give Ardelia a ring and apologise at least hundred times to ever make it up to her.

She took his face in her warm hands, "Alcohol or pills?" she said. Will stared at her, trying to think.

"Alcohol," he pointed at the empty bottle next to him.

"Okay, no pills. Alright, I'm going to take you home. You understand?" she said.

She dug her phone out of her bag, phoned Ardelia and explained that she wasn't coming over because Jack need her help. Luckily, Ardelia understood.

"No Delia, it's just something I need to take care off. Don't worry," she lied. Clarice did indeed worry about Will.

Will looked completely miserable. He kept staring at her. Something to hold on to reality. She was not Abigail. She was dead and gone.

"I have to go, bye," she hung up. Clarice looked at Will, he looked as if he was going to pass out. She took of her coat and put it around him, she took his hands into hers. They felt so cold against her soft warm hands. "Clarice, I-." he mumbled again.

"I'm going to take you home, all right?" she spoke. He nodded a bit. Her car wasn't far away.

"Can you stand up?" she asked Will. There was no one to help het at this hour, the streets were empty. Everyone's gone home. Will stood up and held onto her firmly. If he could maintain this tempo, they would make it to her car.

"Will, stay with me," she kept repeating it. _Will, stay with me…_ Will remembered Hannibal's voice saying those exact same words.

She opened the passenger door of her car and Will collapsed on the chair. Clarice leaned over him to put on his seat belt, he followed her movements.

"Clarice?" he asked.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Watch out for him," he said before he went unconscious. Clarice checked his heartbeat. Clarice drove to Will's home in Wolftrap. She was worried about him. She didn't knew it was this bad.

As she got into his house, Luna started barking. She stopped as soon as the dog saw Clarice was no threat. It was hard to carry Will but she was trained. Inside, she gently placed Will on the sofa.

Luna circled around the sofa, clearly worried about Will. Clarice stroke her behind her ear for a while after she had closed the door. She sat on the ground next to the sofa. Will didn't seem to sleep. Luna rested her head on her lap, begging her to keep petting her. Time went by. Clarice and Luna remained there seated for a while, looking after Will. He slept way more peaceful than earlier that day.

After the clock passed 3 AM, Luna rested her head on Clarice's leg, eyes looking at Will. _You're also watching over him, are you?_

"She likes you," Will said. He seemed less drunk.

"How do you feel?" she asked him.

"I've been better," he proclaimed. Clarice gave him some water. Will stood up and ran to the bathroom very quickly. She had done this several times for her mother. She heard the toilet flush and saw that as an invitation to come in.

He was sitting at the edge of his bathtub. His hands were shaking, not from the alcohol. Something else, fear.

"I'll need a shower," Will said.

"No, no, you're going to drown yourself," she said. Will started unbuttoning his shirt, Clarice put a hand on his trying to stop him. She was used to the smell of alcohol.

He looked into her eyes and brought his hand up to her face. Normally when a guy would do this, she'd kick him in the stomach. But Will was still drunk and she didn't want to stop him. His hands were warmer this time,

"Stay away from Hannibal, he will kill you. If he knew you were here…" he used his index finger to stroke her cheek.

"He's in prison, Will. He won't know," she whispered softly. His face was only inches away from hers.

"Come on, I'll help you," Clarice started unbuttoning his black shirt.

Will let go of her face but his eyes were still focussed on her. He never saw her from this close. She had freckles around her eyes. Will was afraid that Hannibal would kill her or worse: that he made him kill Clarice.

Clarice was surprised by seeing him shirtless. He was surprisingly muscular but it were the scars that had her attention. A round scar on his shoulder was from a gun, .44 Clarice could tell. There was a thin, pink line of flesh on Will's abdomen, she knew Hannibal did this to him. There were also a lot of other scars that she couldn't really place. Probably from the fall.

Will knew she was looking at them. He noticed the look. She looked as if she was about to cry. He didn't want to see her sad. "It's fine," he slurred.

She got up and turned on the shower while Will undressed himself until he was only wearing his boxer short. Neither of them felt uncomfortable.

Clarice had been working in a federal institute herself, she'd worked with inmates. She took his hand and directed him to the shower.

He sat down underneath the shower, still holding her hand.

"Stay, please. I don't want to be alone," Will looked desperately at her.

Clarice sighed and took off her shoes. Followed by her pants and shirt. She was only wearing her underwear and her top as she placed herself next to him. The warm water flooding over her as she took Will's hand.

"Thank you," he said as his grip tightened. The water seemed to calm Will.

Clarice thought about all the times she'd been crying underneath the shower after she had been sent to the Lutheran home. She'd still hear them crying, afraid of being slaughtered by her uncle.

Will remembered Hannibal cutting him open. He never thought he'd feel so much pain until he had to watch Abigail choke in her own blood.

Will tried to stay in this reality by gripping tightly onto Clarice. She was a lovely girl. Beautiful and intelligent. She didn't ask questions about his physique not because she was afraid to ask him but because she already knew. Will had the urge to touch her and be so close to her but he didn't want to offend her or scare her.

"I'm sorry you had to see this," Will felt ashamed.

"I knew you were drinking but I didn't know it was this bad," Clarice said to his surprise. She turned off the water and wrapped a towel around Will's shoulders.

"Have you done this before?" he asked.

"Alcoholic mother check,"Clarice nodded while she dried her own hair.

She took off her top to change into her shirt, Will tried to look away but he could only think about how stunningly beautiful she looked.

Clarice helped him out of the shower. He felt way better now. She dried him of and he let her so he could be close to her. Then she left to let him change.

Luna was resting on Clarice's lap when he got out of the bathroom. He had pulled himself together. He sat down next to her. Luna jumped up and wanted attention from Will who petted her. Clarice smiled a bit.

"You need to stop Will," she said softly. Luna jumped of the couch and got into her bench.

Will nodded. "I don't know how," he couldn't look at her, "there's a reason why I drink."

Clarice forced him to look at her, "It won't help, Will. It won't heal the pain." She was angry because she felt helpless.

That's when she grabbed his face and kissed him. She knew he was still a bit drunk but she had to. His lips were hot and soft against hers.

Will didn't pull back but deepened the kiss and brought his hands to her face. Clarice placed her hands around his neck. Following her reaction, Will pulled Clarice on top of him.

Clarice pulled away after a while and smiled at him. Will ran his fingers along her back. Will pulled her close again, he had longed so long for her kiss.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Clarice smirked, then she smiled at him and kissed him again.

"I know," he smiled.

"You're still drunk and I'm.. a bit confused about that because I don't know it it's the booze talking or you," Clarice closed her eyes because she didn't want to see his facial expression.

" _I_ won't regret this tomorrow," Will said. When she opened her eyes, she saw Will smile at her. Her heart made a small jump.

"Me neither," she said quickly before she kissed him again.

* * *

 **A big thank you for the lovely reviews! You can always send me ideas, concepts, questions, remarks and other things in the comments or PM me!**

 **Also a big thank you to Blasphemous Rumours for all the help and support.**


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning Will woke up on the couch with a sleeping Clarice in his arms. He remembered the events of night before. That's when he felt the headache hit him like a truck. Will didn't want to wake Clarice up to get an aspirin so he stroke her hair for a while. She was still beautiful when she was sleeping, Will thought. Will remembered the kiss, how her lips had felt on his. Clarice brought light into his darkness. He liked having her in his arms, he didn't feel alone anymore.

After a while, Clarice stirred in his arms before waking up. She realised quickly where she was. "Hey, there," Will whispered. Clarice looked up and gave him a soft smile, which he returned. "Will," she grinned. Will rested his hand on her cheek. "Still no second thoughts?" Clarice broke the silence. Will answered by pulling her up and kissing her passionately. "Guess that's a no," she said when he let her breathe.

"You know, I have a class in like 2 hours or so," Clarice said. She laughed at the simplicity of her words. "Guess there's no class without a teacher," Will said.

"How's your head?" Clarice asked.

"It's fine," Will lied.

Luna was watching over the both of them. Satisfied with the woman Will's arms. The dog felt the soothing effect she had on Will. It was nice to have a night when he didn't scream or sobbed in his sleep.

* * *

Later that day Clarice had ran to her room to change her clothes and pick up her stuff to get to class. She almost pushed over Ardelia who was on her way out.

"There you are, party pooper," she smiled.

"My phone went dead. Chaotic night. No sleep, see you in a minute," she replied. Clarice jumped into other clothes, brushed her teeth and grabbed her bag before storming out of the building again. Will was still on her mind just as she was on his.

Clarice got into her class right on time, right before Will walked in. Ardelia looked like she didn't sleep at all but grinned like she had the time of her life.

"You missed a lot, Clarice," Ardelia said when her best friend sat down next to her.

"Tell me everything," Clarice tried to sound interested. She was but it was hard to focus knowing that Will was in the same room. Ardelia started bragging about some guy, how jealous that other guy named Andrew got, lots of flirting…

"And what happened last night with you?" Clarice looked away from Will, who was preparing his lesson on a computer. Ardelia followed the direction where Clarice had been staring during her story.

"Oh… I think I already know," Ardelia smiled. Clarice had opened her mouth to respond but Ardelia was way too quick, "I want details, Starling."

Clarice wanted to deny it, but Dee was way too clever to deceive. So Clarice shrugged, searching for words. Ardelia got closer to Clarice, making sure no one would overhear their conversation. Luckily, the other students didn't pay attention to them.

"It was great," she tried to hide her smile.

"Did you..?" Ardelia began.

"No, I ran into him yesterday night. Drunk. I brought him home and when he was a little more sober we made out, so if you have any more questions.." Clarice spoke, little embarrassment in her voice.

"I'm so proud of you, you sly little fox," Ardelia laughed. Clarice sighed and rolled her eyes. Ardelia had tried to set up lots of dates for her, so this actually came as a surprise for her. She knew her friend had it for the special ones.

"Now shut up and keep this to yourself," she winked at her. Ardelia kept teasing Clarice.

Will began his lesson and Clarice tried to act as normal as usual. Clarice thought about everything that had happened since Jack had given her the order to go talk to Hannibal Lecter. She made notes of everything Will said and tried to focus. He had looked at her every once in a while.

After twenty minutes, Jack Crawford walked into the classroom. He looked grumpier than ever, almost furious. For a moment she thought Jack had found out about the other night but luckily for them, he did not. Or they had found him. Buffalo Bill. Finally.

"EVERYONE OUT," he shouted at the students. Everyone obeyed and rushed out of the classroom like the fire alarm had gone off.

When Clarice packed her stuff, Jack yelled: "STARLING, YOU'RE STAYING". Ardelia gave her a worried look but she didn't blink.

While the last students were on their way out, Clarice caught Will's worried look. The door slammed again. Clarice got up and walked over to Jack and Will. She was confused about what this was about.

"Have you seen the news," Jack asked them. Will shook his head.

"I received a call from the Tennessee State Office last night. Senator Ruth Martin's daughter got missing. They thought she went off for a few days until someone found her shirt this morning, sliced up the back. You know what this means," Jack said. _Off course, Buffalo Bill._

"Federal Police, State Police, everyone's on it. They want us to be there also. She's going to give a live statement on television in a few minutes. This whole country will focus on Buffalo Bill now. The President has already sent his condolences to Ruth Martin," Jack said.

"She's not dead," Will said.

"Not yet," Clarice pointed out, "we've got less than a week, Jack."

"And if he finds out who she is, he might panic and kill her sooner," Jack added.

"Hannibal knows who he is," Will said, "if you want to save her, you'll have to please him."

Clarice sighed. "Which is my job, I guess," she said bitterly. She thought about Catherine Martin, kidnapped and alone, awaiting her near death.

Jack's phone rang. He picked it up without saying anything and ended it with "Keep me updated". Jack ran over to the computer and turned on the news. They were LIVE. Ruth Martin was a woman in her fifties, she looked elegant and well dressed. She looked nervous though, something you wouldn't expect from a US Senator. You could see the camera's flash on the screen. Jack turned the volume up.

The TV anchor spoke; _"..was listed at first simply as a missing person, but is now believed to have been kidnapped by the serial killer known only as Buffalo Bill. Memphis Police sources indicate that the missing girl's blouse has been identified, sliced up the back, in what has become a kind of grim calling card. Young Catherine Martin, as we've said, is the only daughter of U.S. Senator Ruth Martin - the Republican junior senator from Tennessee. And while her kidnapping is not at this point considered to be politically motivated, nevertheless it has stirred the government to its highest levels. Just moments ago, Senator Martin made this dramatic personal plea.."_

They showed a photo montage of Catherine Martin's life. From a chubby baby tot a young, heavy-set woman smiling in the photos that they showed. Footage of the apartment when she had been taken. Interviews with so-called experts. Finally Ruth Martin came back on the screen.

"I'm speaking now to the person who is holding my daughter. Her name is Catherine... You have the power to let Catherine go, unharmed. She's very gentle and kind - talk to her and you'll see. Her name is Catherine... You have a chance to show the whole world that you can be merciful, as well as strong" she paused at the right time, to make her message more emotional, "Please - I beg you - release my Catherine...". She looked as if she was about to cry. Will, Jack and Clarice looked at the screen as if that would solve all their problems.

"What do I have to give to that son of a b*tch to make him talk?" Jack turned his anger to Will. Clarice was angry about that, this wasn't Will's fault. Jack always made it look like Will was killing all those people. She felt this deep urge to protect him.

"Get him away from Frederick. He wasn't a pleasant host when I was in there," Will said bitterly.

"I'm not going to send that psycho to a tropical island. Something else," Jack ordered.

"Information about you, Will," Clarice said to Will.

"Hannibal knows enough about me," Will said with his jaw clenched. Clarice remembered the scars on his torso. Hannibal had sucked all the information out of Will when he was still a practising psychiatrist to lure Will into his trap.

"I'd rather send him to Hawaii than send you in there, Will," Jack looked at Clarice.

"Then fake a translocation, make him believe he has the upperhand, something," Clarice said.

"He's going to make fun of us anyway. Use all means necessary, Clarice. Make him feel like the God he thinks he is. Do it before the federals confront him. You're our best chance to get some info out of him," Jack said.

Clarice nodded. Will looked sad.

"Alana is going to figure this out with us," Jack said. Will and Clarice looked up in surprise. "She knows how to handle the federal police and she could give her insight to all of this," Jack said.

Clarice sighed innerly. She couldn't ignore the fact that Alana and Will had something going on between them once. But she was married now and had a child so she felt less insecure. Also she felt the warm vibe around her, something that made Clarice trust her.

Jack received another phone call. This time he said, "I'll be right there." Jack made his way to the door. "You two, stay around and have your phone with you Starling," he slammed the door, leaving Clarice and Will behind.

"It will be fine," Will said soothingly when Jack was gone. He closed the gap between them and gently toucher her shoulder. Clarice was shaking a bit. Angry with everyone, she wanted to catch him as bad as the rest wanted to.

"You know we can't save her," Clarice said. She leaned in to his touch.

"I know," Will said, "but we can try to get something out of Lecter."

Clarice looked irritated; "I can't out-smart him. He sees right through me. He knows we have limited time. He will use it, the FBI…us," Clarice closed her eyes.

Will took her in his arms and placed a kiss on her forehead. Clarice reopened her eyes and kissed him on the lips. They could both taste fear in their kiss.

* * *

 **Got lots of reactions on the previous chapter, thank you so much for that. Reviews, ideas, quotes & PM's are always welcome! Or if you want to discuss further plot lines, PM me! I love chatting with you so don't be shy!**

 **Someone asked for my tumblr, so here it is: multifandom-addict**


	20. Chapter 20

Alana was sitting on the edge of a desk inside Jack's office. She was wearing a red suit, with a black blouse underneath it. Her high heels were also red, just as the colour of her lipstick. Jack, Clarice and Will were sitting in front of her. Jack, obviously annoyed with the fact that she was sitting on his expensive wooden desk, was still stressed. Clarice felt useless inside this office, knowing that a psychopathic cannibal had the answer to this puzzle.

Clarice remembered the warm vibe around Alana, that had now changed to a cold one. She was still friendly towards Clarice and Will but bitchy towards Jack. _Probably for a good reason._

"It's never good to lure Hannibal into a trap," Alana said, "and then you've got nothing." Clarice shuffled uncomfortably on her chair.

"I'm a good faker," Clarice said. But that's probably not good enough.

"It's our best option," Will said.

"It's quite believable that Senator Martin wants to make him an offer. She will find out soon that Hannibal knows Buffalo Bill's identity and then she'll come up with a real one. In the main time, we have to go with this plan," Jack said.

Clarice sat in silence. When she looked up, the three of them were looking at her. Afraid if there had been a question towards her, she spoke: "I'll do it."

"You don't have to," Will said quietly.

"No," Clarice said determined, "I'll do it. I want to get as much as I can out of him. I don't want anyone else to die."

Will nodded and looked away from Clarice. She already felt story for her tone and wanted to touch him but she knew she couldn't. Not here.

Alana smiled. _I see why you chose her to go talk to Hannibal._ She thought of a younger version of herself. More ambitious. Stronger.

"Then that's a go," Alana smiled.

* * *

Clarice adjusted her coat one last time before she got out of the car. She took a deep breath. Will was in the car behind her with Alana. She'd be wired for this conversation, so it would look casual for Dr. Lecter. She was accompanied by a whole team of investigators. Some federal, some from Quantico. This was her third visit to the BSHI. One of the last, Clarice hoped.

Alana and Will walked with her into the hospital.

"There's something I need to take care of with Frederick. Wait for me," Alana said while she walked away to Dr. Chilton's office.

Clarice felt uncomfortable and exited at the same time. Will and Clarice were finally alone. He gave her the little mic that she had to attach under her clothes. "You okay?" he asked.

"A little," she answered. These room made her feel sick, like the waiting room at the dentist. You knew that something horrible was going to happen. Clarice crossed her arms.

"I'm scared that I'll fuck up with him," she whispered.

"You won't," Will said while he reached out for her hand. She took it and he pulled her close. Clarice thought about the girl in the pit, scared, alone and close to death.

Will thought about Hannibal and then the woman in his arms. Will hoped she could make it all go away. If she could understand Hannibal, maybe she could understand the monster deep within Will…

The clicking of high heels meant that Alana was returning. Clarice looked at Will desperately. "I know you can do this," Will said. She smiled bitterly before she stepped away from him.

He looked like he didn't want her to go. Will knew he made a mistake by letting her go. He felt like something terrible was going to happen.

Clarice didn't look back when the doors flung open.

* * *

Clarice moved down the corridors of the BSHCI. The hall began to darken as she walked past Barney, right into the Norman Chapel in Hannibal Lecter's mind palace. _Hello again, Clarice._

She walked steadily towards the altar, emotionless. She was new here. Clarice Starling hadn't been in this part of Hannibal Lecter's mind palace. Normally she'd be in her own room that he had built for her. Dr. Lecter was standing in front of the pulpit, behind a wall of glass. Clarice walked up to the glass calmly.

Inside the BSHCI, Hannibal Lecter slipped back into reality. Hannibal Lecter was standing on the other side of the glass in his cell, facing Clarice.

"Good evening, Dr. Lecter," Clarice spoke.

"Clarice," Dr. Lecter acted surprised _._

"So late here on a school day," he said.

"I was in Virginia yesterday.."

"With Will?" he asked. _Here we go, little brat._

"Yes, why-?"

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"No, I-"

"You have a band aid on your knee," Lecter pointed out. It was not visible so he must have smelled it. _Totally not creepy._

"I tripped on the stairs yes," she admitted, her clumsiness was showing again. Hannibal seemed amused at that.

"I was in West Virginia, they had found a body. Buffalo Bill's latest victim," she tried.

"Not his last," he smiled at her, showing his teeth. He nodded at the television in his cell. So he knew.

"Second last," she said.

"Did you examine the body?"

"Yes, I did. She was scalped, partially."

"How did you feel when you saw the body? Exited? Scared?" he asked with passion in his eyes.

"Shocked."

"And Will?"

"Disturbed. He's fine now, I think," she heard her own voice tremble. Dr. Lecter's eyes narrowed, like he had spotted a lie. Or something he didn't like. She needed to act quickly to change the subject.

"She had something down her throat," Clarice continued.

"A butterfly?" he asked. How could he have known that? It wasn't published in the press.

"Yes, a bug cocoon. How did you know?"

He smirked at her, knowing he had every power over her.

"I'm waiting for your offer, Clarice. Enchant me. What has Jack got to offer me?" he asked. Hannibal was right. Jack, Will and Alana had chosen a strategy to please him. Something impossible, they had all agreed. Clarice wasn't sure if their promise was legit. Maybe it would be better like this because he'll see right through Clarice.

So here she was, her last attempt to save Catherine Martin and the future Catherine's who'll never be on the national news because they're not the senator of a Republican Senator. She was the for the Jane Does. Someone had to speak up for them, Clarice somehow knew that she had to be that person.

"If you help us find Buffalo Bill in time to save Catherine Martin, the Senator promises you a transfer to the V.A. hospital at Oneida Park, New York, with a view of the woods nearby. Maximum security still applies, but you'd have reasonable access to books."

No reaction. His face remained neutral. Studying her face. Clarice lay a staple of papers in Lecter's food tray.

"It's a copy of the Buffalo Bill case file, copy of Senator Martin's terms. Her offer is final and non-negotiable," she spoke. He looked more annoyed. If discourtesy is that unspeakable ugly to you, you should stop acting like one.

She remembered the body in the morgue. She imagined Catherine laying on the next dissection table, very soon if she blew this up. Clarice got as close to the glass as possible. "If Catherine dies," she slide his tray through with a loud bang, "you get nothing."

Dr. Lecter admired the sudden darkness of her tone. She looked dangerous even though he could overthrow her if he hadn't been caged. Hannibal would never do that to her, she was way too interesting. Will's scent was all over her, and another smell. Something dog-like. _Not like friendly terms._

"Sounds charming. Will you and Will accompany me to my new cell? I would love seeing the lovebirds together and your company would certainly entertain me, Clarice" Hannibal said after he took a quick look at the files.

"No," she laughed, "that's not an option."

"I see. If I help you, Clarice, it will be "turns" with us, too. Quid pro quo. I tell you things, you tell me things," Hannibal said.

"Things about Will? I don't know any person-" Clarice began.

"No. He doesn't interest me anymore. Things about you, Clarice. You seem like a very interesting young woman. So, what will it be Clarice. Yes or no?" Dr. Lecter is now standing very close to the wall of glass between them. He could study her from up close.

"Sure, Doctor. Go ahead," she said. Clarice thought that he was going to ask her about the other night with Will. Or her feeling towards him.

"What's your worst memory of childhood? And don't lie because I will know," Dr Lecter looked at her.

"The death of my father," she said almost automatically. He knew he had found a weak spot.

"Tell me," Hannibal said calmly. The little bird had a weak spot, Hannibal wondered how she'd behave when he pushed all her buttons.

"He was a town marshal. One night he surprised two burglars, coming out the back of a drugstore... They shot him," she tried to keep her emotions under control. When Clarice looked into his eyes, his eyes seemed to sparkle a bit.

"Didn't he have a gun?" Lecter asked her.

"No," she responded.

"Killed outright?" he asked her.

"No, he was strong, he lasted for a long time. After he went into a permanently comatose state, my mother decided to end his life by unplugging the machine that had kept him alive. He was my whole world. I was ten years old." Clarice felt numb. Cold. She didn't mind sharing this with him but the memory came back and it hurt.

"Thank you for your honesty, Clarice. I think I'm starting to see why everyone is so interested in you."

"Quid pro quo, Doctor," she tried to sound strong.

"The significance of the moth is change. Caterpillar into cocoon into beauty... Bill wants to change, too, Clarice. But there's the problem of his size, you see. Even if he were a woman, he'd have to be a big one..." he liked teasing her.

"Transsexuals are very passive, not aggressive at all-" Clarice began.

"Clever of you, Clarice. Do you know you're so close to catch him?" he cocked his head a bit.

"Tell me how," she sounded almost desperate.

"What happened after the death of your father? You lived with your mother?"

"She didn't have enough money to take care of me and my siblings. I was the oldest so I went away. I was still angry at her for unplugging the machine," Clarice got nervous about telling him this.

Hannibal thought about his own childhood. And Misha. He had been orphaned once too. Although it was a lot different in Clarice's case. Her siblings were still alive…

"Where did you go?" he asked.

"I went to live with my mother's cousin and her husband in Montana. They had a ranch."

"Cattle?"

"No, horses and sheep," Clarice wondered why it mattered to him.

"How long did you stay there?"

"2 months."

"Why so briefly?"

"I ran away," Clarice told him. He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Why? Did the rancher touch you?"

"NO," Clarice said annoyed. Why does everyone think that?

"Billy's not a real transsexual, but he thinks he is. He tries to be. He's tried to be a lot of things."

"You said I was very close to the way we'd catch him," Clarice lay her hand on the glass that separated them. Lecter took a step closer to Clarice.

"Check all the hospitals that exercise sex change surgeries. There are lots of them, I know. His application has been refused due to his history of violence. Look for someone with a long history of violence. He won't pass these tests even if he's that intelligent that Jack Crawford can't catch him. That's how you'll catch him, the rest you'll have to search out on your own."

"I don't think-" Clarice began.

"Go Clarice. The clock is ticking for the Senator's daughter. Tick tock. Go home to your boyfriend Will, try to solve it. She hasn't much time left," he told her. Clarice knew he wasn't going to give her more, so she accepted her faith.

"Goodbye Dr. Lecter," Clarice walked away, knowing what she had to do. She remembered his eyes, his voice was still inside her head.

"Goodbye," he said as she walked away.

 _Goodbye Clarice_ , Lecter thought.

This would be the last time he ever saw Clarice Starling. He didn't lie about the fact that she was so close to catch Jame. But he knew she wasn't going to survive him.

She would be killed in action, just like her father.

Her name would be in the newspapers, her face all over the news: "FBI Trainee killed by Buffalo Bill".

Hannibal imagined Will grieving over her grave, slipping away into the darkness again.

An eye for an eye.

 _Quid pro quo._

* * *

 **About this chapter - notes:**

 **\- the scene with the Norman Chapel was actually a scene from the series (3x08), when Will goes to see Hannibal about the Red Dragon case. It was a very beautiful scene that I wanted to include because that seemed essential to the Hannibal/Will relationship. It meant that Will had a place in his mind palace that Hannibal associates with that church (the broken 'heart' that he made for Will, Will went there with Abigail, "I forgive you", ...).**

 **\- "With the memory of the hours of exquisite delight you have given me I have built deep in my heart, a chapel filled with you." –Marcel Proust (something that reminded me a lot of our murder husbands)**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always: suggestions and comments are welcome.**

 **I'm wondering how I can bring in more Freddie, Bedelia, ... (others?). If you want me to focus on other characters or specific relationships: LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS OR PM ME!**


	21. Chapter 21

Catherine's throat was hoarse from all the screaming. She screamed and screamed but no one could hear her deep down in the pit. Her whining echoed in Mr. Gumb's cellar. There was no one around, except him. The pit was bare, except for a futon and a plastic toilet bucket, from which a thin string rose up to the basement.

Catherine didn't get a close look at her kidnapper. She was dressed in an kaki jumpsuit, surrounded by darkness. The only thing she could hear was soft music playing in the room next to her. She remembered helping the man in the parking lot. He'd been the one who must have taken her. She had been in here for a few hours, Catherine didn't knew how long she had been unconscious.

Suddenly she heard a pair of feet above her. A shadowy male figure looked down at her, casually leaning over the edge of the deep hole, 15 feet above her. He was holding a little white poodle in his arms. Catherine was blinded by the floodlamp he was holding.

"Rub the cream on your skin. Rub it in good...," Catherine recognised the soft voice. She looked up in confusion, struggling what he meant.

He threw her a bottle of skin lotion. She stared at it for a while, not understanding what she was meant to do. Catherine swallowed hard.

"Mister... my family will pay cash. Whatever ransom you're asking for, they –" she struggled remain calm.

"RUB IT IN! Or you'll get the hose," he ordered her. Catherine saw her captor's face clearly now her eyes had adjusted to the light. He had a clear, soft face with female features. His long curly hair looked very creepy, she thought. Catherine wondered if she was taken by some sort of hippie cult.

The dog barked excitedly. He seemed distracted by it as he focussed on the little ball of fur in his arms.

"Yes, it will, Precious, won't it? It will get the hose!"

Catherine kneeled and turned away from him. She unzipped her jumpsuit, part-way, then squeezed some of the lotion onto her palm. Reaching inside her suit, she slowly rubbed it on.

"Mister, if you let me go, I won't press charges, I promise. You've only had me here for a few hours, and –" Catherine tried again.

"Twenty hours to be precise," Jaime corrected her. He hated when people were wrong. About his sexuality, his diagnosis, his intentions. He hated them and needed to correct them.

"Is that all...? See - see, my mom is a real important woman... Well, I guess you already know that. She'll pay you, no questions asked. Whatever cause you represent - Iran, Syria - she'll see that –" she was surprised that he didn't cut her off this time.

A sudden blinding glare of light silenced her. She looked up, shielding her eyes.

The floodlamp was descending, attached to a small basket.

"Put the lotion in the basket. No funny business, or you'll be sorry," Jaime ordered.

The basket stopped right in front of her.

"Sir, please," she whined.

"PUT THE LOTION IN THE FUCKING BASKET," he yelled.

Afraid of what this new change of temperament could mean for her, she obeyed. While Catherine slipped the bottle in the basket her attention was drawn by the walls. She hesitated, then looked closer. In the swaying glare of the floodlamp she could see, high on the concrete walls, bloody finger tracks. They had a dried, brown colour but it was obviously blood. That's when her instinct took over and Catherine began to scream hysterically.

She finally knew who her captor was. He had been the one all the newspapers were talking about. It explained why he wanted her so bad to rub lotion on her skin. Catherine had been taken by Buffalo Bill.

* * *

Clarice appeared through the door, welcomed by a new room of chaos. She felt Hannibal Lecter inside her mind. _Quid Pro Quo._

FBI consultants were screaming instructions to each other. They were the ones that were taping the conversation. Clarice felt numb while she walked over to Will and Alana. She was on the phone with someone, Clarice guessed it was Jack. She heard his low voice give her further instructions.

 _Goodbye Clarice_. She heard Dr. Lecter's voice inside her head.

Clarice looked at the tips of her shoes. Breathe in, breathe out.

"You okay?" Will asked. His voice echoed inside her head. Clarice nodded, obviously daydreaming. She wanted to be alone to think. The memory of her father was more vivid than ever before. Clarice felt like she got punche in the stomach.

"Great job you did in there," Alana said when she hung up. Clarice smiled awkwardly, waiting until she would continue.

"It won't be long until The Office finds out what we did, Jack's on it right now. He's going to try to reason with Senator Martin." She sighed, knowing that was an impossible job.

"What about Catherine?" Will asked.

"Jack's taking over. Nothing I can do about it," Alana said.

"What?" Clarice exclaimed. She was done trying to prove herself. Jack was abusing her.

"He wants you to stay in Baltimore overnight, if something happens," Alana said.

"Oh you mean when he needs me again?" Clarice said sarcastically. Will knew she was angry. This was the how Jack rolled. If Will didn't have all these mental problems, he's be angry at Jack too.

"I'm staying with Clarice," Will said. Alana raised her eyebrow in surprise.

"Jack needs you," Alana said.

"Jack doesn't need me. He needs Clarice. He's an idiot if he refuses to see that," Clarice smiled when Will continued, "I don't work for the FBI anymore and I can't.. _see_ this one."

Alana wondered if Clarice was behind this sudden attitude switch in Will. She smiled at the both of them. She was thankful for this. If Will had dared to speak up a bit more, he would never been through the things he had been through. Better late than never.

* * *

"He's just dishing me again. Right?" she said to Will. Clarice and Will were in a hotel room in Baltimore. Orders from Jack, at least he agreed that Will stayed with her.

Although she thought that she was babysitting Will and not the other way round. It never felt like babysitting anymore, they enjoyed each other's company.

"It's nothing personal," Will said. Clarice focussed on her computerscreen again. She was searching for violent accidents in the gay partyscene in North America for the last couple of years. The internet was full of vague stories that lead to no one in particular. It frustrated her.

She felt Will's hands on her shoulders, trying to sooth her a bit. She thought about Hannibal Lecter and her revelations to him.

"I told him things that I shouldn't have told him," she said when she turned to him so they were face-to-face. Will looked confused.

"What did you tell him?" Will asked. He moved his hand to her knee, she grabbed his hand.

"You were listening to the conversation, right?" Clarice wondered.

"I didn't want to hear him.. his voice again," Will spoke. Clarice now understood what it was like to have someone's voice stuck inside their head. She heard him too.

"I told him things.. things about myself," Clarice said.

Will's face remained neutral, he said nothing.

"I know it wasn't a good call. But I had to, otherwise he wouldn't have told me where to look," she tried to defend herself from the things he was going to say.

"That's how it started with me," he said darkly.

"He's in prison. I know he'll probably use it against me some day… or even never. If we catch Buffalo Bill, he'll never see me again," Clarice put her hand on his arm, rubbing it softly.

"You're right, Clarice. I'm just worried about you," Will tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Then don't," Clarice said before they kissed.

The spark was there again. Something about her, made Will go crazy.

"He also knows about you and me," Clarice whispered.

"Hmm.. doesn't matter. Hannibal doesn't want to see me happy," Will pulled her close again. She smiled when he deepened the kiss. They both knew where this was leading to.

Will yanked his shirt over his head and laid his weight onto Clarice, nudging her thighs apart and settled between them as he returned to kissing Clarice. They both gasped hotly into their shared breath with the sudden friction and Will pulled back to look into her eyes.

His tongue ran along her bottom lip resulting in a small moan escaping Clarice.

"You're so beautiful," he almost growled, while he pinned her to the bed.

She admired the man of top of her. Scarred but still pretty. A work of art.

She ran her hands through his hair, tugging it lightly as he moved his lips along her jaw and down her neck. Clarice pulled him back down to her and caught his mouth again, she couldn't get enough of his kisses.

After a while he used his other hand to flick open the button on her jeans and unzip them. He wriggled them off and then did the same with his own.

"Come back here," Clarice murmured. He crawled back up her body and the feeling of intimacy was startling, forcing a shocked little cry from her as Will rubbed his erection over her, just two thin layers of fabric between them.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked, with a wide smile. Clarice laughed and nodded before they kissed again. She removed the rest of her undergarments until she was naked. Her FBI training had given her a muscled body, for which she was grateful for. Will's breath was taken away by her beauty.

"Will," Clarice whispered as he pushed right into her. Will lifted her chin to look at him and pressed his lips to hers. He started to thrust and moaned softly. The feeling of Will deep inside her, made Clarice go ecstatic.

"You feel s-so fuckin' good..." Will said shakily. He wasn't going to last long and Clarice was happy just to take it.

"Ohhh...you're so good at this." Clarice raised her leg, digging her heel into Will's thigh as he fucked her harder and harder.

Will pressed her hand over his head, nudging Clarice's jaw up to kiss her neck. Ecstasy washed over Clarice in waves as she came. Their hands entwined and he kissed her softly. Clarice's desperate cries pulled his orgasm from him too. His body tensed as he came hot and pulsing inside her, Will's face was buried in her neck.

Eventually Will pulled out of Clarice and lay curled around her. Neither of them knew what to say and eventually they turned to look at each other at the same time. Clarice laughed and Will kissed her.

"Thank god, you ..." Will said breathing heavily, his curls a mess. The alcohol and darkness had made him slower, easier out of breath. He wondered if his age was catching up on him.

Clarice felt like she could never get tired of looking at his pretty face. Clarice curled up against his broad chest, Will instinctively wrapped his arms around her. His heartbeat lowered to a normal pace, Clarice could tell.

"That was amazing," Clarice looked up at him with a coy smile. He returned her smile.

"Was? I'm not done with you yet..." Will smiled as he leaned over Clarice to press a kiss to her already kiss-swollen lips again. She giggled in response to his surprising move.

(…)

Will looked at Clarice, who was sleeping in his arms. She had a satisfied grin on her face. His heart made little jump. Will realised that he really loved her even though he didn't knew her that long. This was not part of his plan. Not at all. Hannibal would probably kill her if he knew what Clarice meant to him. Hannibal doesn't share. He gets jealous. Will placed a soft kiss on her forehead before he drifted away himself.

" _I bond with Abigail. You take her away. I bond with barely more than the idea of a child, you take it away. You saw to it that I alienated Alana, alienated Jack. You don't want me to have anything in my life that's not you."_

" _I only want what's best for you."_

No… you won't take her away from me. I can have a life after you.

* * *

 **About this chapter - notes:**

 **\- I have no idea why some chapters are way longer than the others. I try to make all the scenes/pieces fit into a chapter which is very difficult because there's so much yet to come. (Yes, I'm a very chaotic writer)**

 **\- The cursive part at the end of this chapter was an actual scene between Hannibal and Will somewhere in season 2. I think that Hannibal truely doesn't want anyone else in Will's life besides him. It was about Margot losing her child, and with 'lose' I mean Mason Verger. (Don't get me started about that prick!)**

 **\- Yes, I've written a smutty scene. I know that I'm so bad at it so spare me in the comments, please. I have no idea what I'm doing. This is why I rated it 'M'. I'm so ashamed of my writing that I just typed "(...)" after a while. So use your fantasy! (Again, I'm so sorry)**

 **\- I love writing Buffalo Bill. I liked Ted Levine's portrayal so much in SOTL that I didn't wante to change a lot. Maybe I'll focuss next time on a flashback with Hannibal and him (after Raspail was murdered). Hannibal would be interested in another sociopath, right? He would be curious what would happen if he pulled a few strings here and there.**

 **Also: Thank you for the reviews of the previous chapter! I'm so happy when I see that people are still reading my story. You can always leave a comment or PM me. I don't know that many fannibals so I'm happy to talk to you! **


	22. Chapter 22

"Bad news, Hannibal. Did you really believe that they would ever let you go to some exotic resort? Hannibal, Hannibal, Hannibal. I thought you were smarter than that." Dr. Chilton was laying on Hannibal's bed.

The man himself was fully restrained. His ankles were linked by steel restraints. Just like his legs, waist, upper torso and arms were bound by heavy canvas webbing. His face was covered with a hockey mask. No chance for funny business.

Barney looked stressed, he didn't like to do this to Dr. Lecter. Barney knew he had the upper hand in the situation, he was aware of how dangerous his patient could be. After all he was still a nurse and not a jailer. In all their time together, there had been a bond of mutual respect.

"A pretty woman walks in and you're back in track to work for Jack. Or is it because of Will," Chilton teased, expecting a change in Hannibal's bored facial expression. Hannibal Lecter blinked.

"By the way, Gourmet magazine has rejected your recipe for braised kidneys. Ah, reminds me of the time when you used to cook for me. Before I saw right through you," he loved having power over him. Especially after all the injustice that was done to him.

He licked his fingertips before continuing reading Hannibal's large stack of private correspondence. Dr. Chilton made notations with his golden pen on a little pad. Another orderly was mopping the floor.

"Such a lot of correspondence! I can't hardly wait to analyse it in more detail... But first things first," he tossed the letters onto the cot, he rose and took his tablet out of his pocket. He waggled it triumphantly at Dr. Lecter.

"I bugged you. Not a word to me in all these years, Hannibal. Then Crawford sends his bit of fluff over here, and you just turn to jelly. It's too pathetic," Frederick leaned tauntingly close to the front of Dr. Lecter's mask.

"You still think you're going to walk on some beach, and see the birdies? I don't think so, Hannibal... I called Senator Ruth Martin, and she never heard of any deal with you. She never heard of Clarice Starling, either. They scammed you, Hannibal...," he snapped. Dr. Lecter's eyes were glittering behind their slits.

"When Crawford gets through milking you, he's giving you to Baltimore Homicide for the Raspail murder," Chilton was in his element, "And Clarice Starling and Will Graham will live happily ever after. You were right about those two, I think. That bitch wants you to rot in this little box, far away from her and Will. That'll be you. Unless you trade with _me_."

Hannibal stared at Dr. Chilton's face, then lowered his eyes to take a closer look at his soft, white, inviting throat.

Clarice Starling and Will Graham would pay. Hannibal thought about slicing Clarice's throat in front of Will. _No, not original enough._ Her death needed to be unique, not a copy of Abigail's. Hannibal hoped that Jaime would make her suffer.

"There never was a deal with Senator Martin - but there is now. I've been on the phone for hours, Hannibal, on your behalf. Here's what you get: if you identify Buffalo Bill, and the girl is found in time, Senator Martin will have you transferred to Brushy Mountain State Prison, in Tennessee. The Governor has already agreed. You get books, a view of the woods, and plenty of exercise time."

Dr. Lecter looked at Dr. Chiltons mutated face before his attention was drawn by the carelessly left golden pen on his bed. Hannibal smiled at Frederick, who saw that as a sign to continue.

"And best of all, you'd be out of Jack Crawford's reach, forever. The Senator will verify these terms on the phone, and guarantee them in writing... whatever pleases you.

"In exchange, I get your full cooperation in publishing a professional account of this. You publish nothing. And I get exclusive access to any material from Catherine Martin. I've always wanted to write a sequel. So. Do you accept my demands?" Frederick's face almost touched Hannibal's mask. Agitated with Hannibal's silence.

"Answer me, Hannibal," Frederick was getting tire of his sick mind games. _Approve this and get out of my face forever._

Frederick took Hannibal's mouth piece off, it fell on the floor with a loud bang. Barney looked shocked.

"Who is Buffalo Bill?" Chilton hissed.

"I'll tell the Senator herself. Only in Tennessee," Hannibal smirked. This was the first step of his way out of here.

* * *

 _She felt Will's hands around her throat. He didn't look like himself, possessed by another force. Sweat was dripping of his forehead. She heard them scream. The lambs were screaming. Clarice's heart sunk to the floor. She gasped for air but Will's weight pinned her to the floor. Her own trembling hands tried to stop his but she felt herself drift away into unconsciousness. The last thing she remembered was the blood on Will's face. She presumed it was hers. Then everything went back to black._

"Hey there," Will said when Clarice opened her eyes and jumped up. It took her a moment to realise where she was, then she remembered her nightmare. The screaming still echoed in her head.

"I think you were having a nightmare," Will smiled as he stroke her cheek. Clarice's heartbeat slowed down.

"It's not real," she mumbled. Clarice looked back to Will, remembering the events of the night before. She lay down again, allowing Will to wrap his arms around her so they were face to face.

Clarice would feel much better if she woke up every day to the mere sight of Will Graham lying next to her. She placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Their humble moment of silence was interrupted by the sound of a trilling phone. Will sighed when he had to let go of her to pick up. Clarice got up to give him some space.

"Hello," he answered.

"Alana," he said. Will looked troubled. Clarice crawled over back to him to rub his back softly. He seemed to calm a bit under her touch.

Alana was doing all the talking, Will simply listened.

"Has Jack heard my comments?" Will asked dryly. He rolled his eyes at her response.

"She can't handle him and he's gonna lie. Alana, you know it," Will said. Clarice's curiosity grew. Alana's voice busted trough the speakers again. Will turned to Carice and took her hand into his.

"So are we done here?" he asked.

"Goodbye, Alana," he hung up and threw his phone away. He crawled back into bed. Clarice wanted answers.

"They know our offer was fake," Will said. So it was fake. Clarice had a sparkle of hope that Hannibal Lecter would be sent to a better institution if he could grant enough information to save Catherine. Deep down she knew that Jack didn't roll this way.

"Senator Martin is furious at Jack Crawford, she made a deal with Frederick Chilton. Hannibal wants to tell her who Buffalo Bill is, in person. He's being flown over to Tennessee," Will spoke. Clarice wondered if her career at the FBI was over. Senator Martin could kick her out with one single phone call.

"And now?"

"We could go home," Will said while he pulled her close.

"He said I was close," Clarice thought of those words. Was she really that blind? She knew what she had to do.

"I don't think he was lying to me," Clarice thought of Catherine again. Alone. Scared. Close to death.

"I want to find her, him. End all this," Clarice said. She could save Catherine, her career and prove herself to Jack.

"Clarice, he could be anywhere, some freak in a basement with a gun. It's impossible," Will said.

"It's not. You know that's not right," Clarice spoke, "you just want to stay out of this but I'm not done. I don't care what Jack Crawford says."

Will studied her. The frown on her pretty face, the freckles around her eyes, the anger in her eyes.

She wanted to save her, at all cost. That's my girl, Will thought.

"I- I'm with you," he said. Clarice smiled satisfied.

* * *

"Yes, Senator I was aware of the risk. But if director Chilton didn't tell Dr. Lecter it was a set up, he would have shared information with one of our agents," Jack Crawford was standing in the middle of his living room. If he paced around, the room didn't look that empty.

Since Bella's passing, the house had lost the feeling of home that it once had. The smell of Bella cooking delicious meals. Home decoration matching the seasons. Italian music filling up the house with their catchy rhythm. Just like when they had first met.

That music had been replaced by the beeping of a monitor that kept her alive in her last weeks. Bella struggling to breath, her lunges no longer accepting to cooperate. Her body was giving up.

And now the house was complete silent. Jack refused to change anything. He still hoped that she would come home one day and they could be reunited after all. He was the only woman he had ever loved.

"Agents? Some dumb trainee with a pretty face. If she fucked up Catherine's chance for survival, I will personally ruin her career. I'm thankful that Dr. Chilton had the decency to inform me. And for you, Jack, I'll deal with you _later_ ," Senator Martin hissed. Jack knew Senator Ruth Martin was a first class bitch but the whole situation has made it worse.

"We will find her in time, Senator. You have my word," Jack promised. She hung up on him. Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead. His headache wasn't getting better.

Alana re-entered the room with her phone in her hand. Jack was glad to have her back by her side, even if it was just for a few days. "That was Will," she said.

"He and Clarice are going back to Quantico?" he assumed.

"That would be the best thing," Alana smiled, trying to cheer him up a bit. He was getting to old for this job. Alana's worst fear was coming home to an empty house, like Jack. With her son and Margot gone.

Jack nodded. Alana wanted to ask him something that had been on her mind for a while.

"You think Will's getting any better? Clarice seems to have a positive influence on her," she started. Jack understood the meaning of her undertone.

"Will recommended me to her, said Hannibal would like her," Jack said. Now that he had got to known her, it was a little bit harder to admit.

"I think Will also likes her," Alana smiled. She had no hard feelings towards her. The woman was glad that she never dated him.

Jack let that thought sunk in for a while. He didn't really saw anything in Will but he had greater worries on his mind. He shrugged.

"At least she's normal. One of _us_ ," Alana said.

"I don't want to remember," Jack paused and sighed before he continued his sentence, "how I found them."

"Gee, I feel so offended Jack. Homosexuality is a real sin," she said sarcastically while reaching out to heart as if had really been hurt.

"You know it's not like that…," he defended himself. Alana rolled her eyes.

"I like to think it was Stockholm Syndrome," he rubbed his bald head. His age was catching up on him.

"Keep pretending Jack. Maybe Clarice can get to him, because we failed. We were his friends, Jack. Stop being blind for once," Alana spoke while she took place at Bella's part of the couch, "You should realise that if Will gets his mind back, you can sleep way better at night."

"I'd sleep better if I catch that son of a bitch," Jack said before walking out. He needed some fresh air to clear his head.

* * *

 **About this chapter - notes:**

 **\- Sorry that I don't update as often as I used to. I'm still on this site for PM's and reviews so you can still contact me.**

 **\- Yes, Jack and Alana are discussing Will's sexuality. Somehow people didn't want to accept Season3!Alana (tumblr peeps, take notes) but accept that she's bisexual. Love that she isn't the 'dumb' woman in the love triangle anymore.**

 **\- So in next summer we will know officially if we get a 4th season of Hannibal. So fingers crossed. I personally think it's gonna happen. Fuller dropped out of Star Trek, so that's a possible hint. Last week he asked the fans on his twitter what cuisine the fourth season episode names should be base of (as every season's episodes have different themes). Season 1 was French, the second season was Japanese and the third was Italian. The second part of the third season had English titles referring to the book. So… some fan suggested it to be Cuban.. and Bryan was "ding ding you win". So very exciting news for us.**

 **\- I'm so hyped for season 4. Aaaaaaah!**

 **Also** **: Thank you for the reviews of the previous chapter! I'm so happy when I see that people are still reading my story. You can always leave a comment or PM me. I don't know that many fannibals so I'm happy to talk to you!**


	23. Chapter 23

Clarice was bringing her stuff to the car when a voice spoke to her coming from behind her back.

"I don't believe we've met," the voice said. Clarice turned around to see to whom the soft, female voice belonged.

A short, skinny woman with beautiful red curls was smiling at her. She had a familiar face but Clarice didn't know from where she had seen her before. She was fully dressed in black and a camera bag was hanging on her shoulder. Probably press.

"Do I know you?" Clarice asked. She'd get in trouble if some story leaked out. Wrong information could kill Catherine Martin, or lower her survuival chances

"No, probably not. I know all about you, though. You're Jack Crawford's new recruit, still in school and –more importantly- Hannibal Lecter as taken an interest in you," she said with a smug smile on her face. Then, Clarice remembered. She spoke in the same way as she wrote. Clarice felt her cheeks redden when she said his name out loud.

"Freddie Lounds, I presume?" she said while she got to the car. She needed to get out of here as soon as possible. Freddie followed her.

"Clarice M. Starling. 24 years-old. Grew up in an orphanage. Double Degree in Psychology and Criminology. Top grades guaranteed you a place at the FBI School in Quantico," she looked over Clarice's shoulder.

"Get lost, Freddie," Will spoke from behind her, who got into the car and urged Clarice to do the same.

"Now I see why he would speak with you, Ms. Starling," Freddie continued after receiving Will's death stare. Clarice tried to back off subtly.

"What did you get for sleeping with Will Graham?" Clarice stopped. She took a deep breath and looked down at her, happy with the height difference between them.

Freddie made her angry but she decided that it wasn't worth it. It would end up on and Clarice was already in deep trouble.

She took a step back and jumped on the seat next to Will. Clarice was still furious when they drove off the parking. The red haired woman seemed gone. For now. Clarice felt like Freddie would come back.

Will's hand reached out for her knee, something which surprised himself. He had never liked physical touches or eye contact but he had learned to trust this girl. And Clarice trusted him, something Abigail never did. Will no longer felt uncomfortable being around her.

"Can I ask you something?" Will asked, focussing on the cars in front of them.

"Sure," Clarice said.

"What happened when you were young?" Will started.

Clarice looked out of the window and said nothing. She had expected this question sooner or later.

"He knew there was something to get to you. To break you. Was it bad?" Will defended himself.

"Yes," she answered while she remembered flashes of her nightmare. Clarice thought of Catherine Martin, her smiling face on every TV screen, smartphone. _Bring our girl back._

In a way Clarice envied her. Catherine had a loving family that wanted to save her, get her back home. Something her mother never did, even when she had enough money to get her oldest child back.

Clarice wondered if she had known what had happened at the ranch. She had waited and waited for them to come and get her but they never came. Her brothers didn't get any blame in her eyes. Maybe they didn't even remember her.

When Clarice was in college she received a friendship request on Facebook from one of her brothers. She deleted the friend request, knowing it would do her more harm than good.

She didn't want to know what life she could have had. It was better this way.

"I'm not important enough to him to break me," Clarice spoke. Will opened his mouth to say something but he decided it was better to remain silent.

Clarice dug her phone out of her pocket. She had a new text from Ardelia.

"GIRL, YOU BETTER COME HOME YOUNG LADY AND TELL ME EVERYTHING ;) They told me you were gone for the night and I'm not an idiot so tell me everything. Spent the night with hotshot right?"

"What are you smiling?" Will asked.

"My roommate, she's kinda excited," Clarice said.

"She seems like a positive person," Will said about the girl who was always by her side. Her brownish eyes more focused on him than on what he had to say. It made him feel uncomfortable.

"She is," Clarice agreed. She missed her best friend but duty called.

* * *

After a quick stop at her dorm to grab some clothes and stuff, she left again with Will. Ardelia was in class, so she didn't get a bunch of suspicious questions and sassy comments.

They were heading for his house. Once again, Clarice was greeted by Luna's waggling tail.

Will's house was different by day. It seemed emptier, lonelier. It was in that moment she realised how lonely Will was. Locked away in his empathic designs, inner demons and alcohol consumption.

She stood in front of the door opening, wondering if she could trust Hannibal Lecter's word that she was close to catching him. In her head, she replayed the conversations with Hannibal Lecter.

Will was watching her closely, standing in his doorway. His head hurt a lot. Will was starting to see things he didn't want to see. One moment he saw Clarice standing in his doorway, the other moment someone else was standing there.

It was taller, darker and had antlers on his head. Clarice was gone. _Noooooo_ , Will thought. _You're long gone. You died with Abigail, on the floor on Hannibal's kitchen. I saw you bleed, just like I was bleeding. Both dying._

The elk looked wounded, it's breathing was louder. It looked menacing, vengeful. Will couldn't breathe, he was paralysed. _Clarice, where are you?_

Another figure moved behind the huge animal, Will couldn't see what or who it was. A woman in a white dress was standing next to the stag.

Clarice. She looked more savage, her brown hair all messy. She was barefoot and rubbed her left hand trough it's thick fur.

The stag let her continue. Clarice put her tiny arms around the stags neck, like she was caressing its wounds.

The animal pressed his snout against her cheek, acknowledging her touch. She closed her eyes before reopening them and noticing Will looking at the pair of them.

Her eyes were darker, her smile unfamiliar and her moves more wild. She walked over to Will, who still couldn't move his feet. Clarice's presence would normally calm him down, but now he was terrified of her.

She stopped right in front of him; smiling like she was going to do something horrible.

Then, she pressed her skinny body against his and whispered something in his ear before he woke up.

"Will, you were having an episode," Clarice voice spoke. Will was laying on his couch, he felt the sweat drip from his forehead. He wanted to get up, but Clarice pushed him back softly. Her eyes worried, friendly, nothing dark inside them.

"I just fainted," he spoke as Clarice rubbed a cold washcloth onto his forehead. It was surprisingly effective.

"I can't unsee this any longer," she sighed. "You need help, Will, professional help" she whispered.

"From a psychiatrist? You know how that turned out," he laughed sourly. Clarice regretted her words immediately. She wondered if all this was just in his mind or if he was having a some form of epilepsy.

She put her hand on his chest, looking for something to say. Will took her hand and held it.

"Is this because of me?" she asked him.

"No," Will said. He knew those words were true. She was his rock. This young woman made everything less worse than it was. A small beam of light in a dark forest that was his mind.

" _Him_?" they both knew who she meant.

"Yes, partially," Will said.

"And the empathy off course," she watched how Will stroke her cheek with his other, free hand.

"Once this is all over, it will get better. I will be better. For you, for me. Us," Will spoke.

"You're delirious," Clarice rolled her eyes but still gave the man a warm smile.

"I promise," Will said before he kissed her softly. Time would tell what they were. Now Catherine needed their help.

* * *

 **About this chapter - notes:**

 **\- Sorry that I don't update as often as I used to. College is driving me nuts. I'm still on this site for PM's and reviews so you can still contact me.**

 **\- Also reading other's people work on this site and AO3. Suggestions are welcome!**

 **\- Yes, finally. I brought our dear Freddie into this story. This chapter is just a small tease for the things yet to come.**

 **\- Ardelia is so precious. She reminds me so much of my own best friend. I'll feature her much more in the coming chapters!**

 **\- The stag hallucination needs a bit of explaining. The stag was featured in S1, 2 and 3.**

 **The stag always represented the connection between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. He started seeing the stag after he was first exposed to Hannibal's murder of Cassie Boyle impaled on the stag head in the field. While it is only a hallucination, it bears similar qualities to a mythological Wendigo, which is said in Algonquian culture to be a half-man-half-beast monster associated with psychosis and cannibalism.**

 **Some state that the Stag died in the 2x13 "Mizumono" episode where Will is being stabbed by Hannibal and he bleeds (almost) to death on the floor alongside Abigail. In his last moments, Will sees the stag bleed also.** **In the early episodes from S3 we see a body of a human (shaped into a heart) starting to walk across the Norman Chapel. (Or something like that, I really don't know how to describe it).**

 **Let's say the stag represents Will an Hannibal's relationship. And Clarice hanging onto it. What could this mean? Like some foreshadowing of some kind? ;)**

 **Let me know! I'm curious about how you guys interpret it!**

 **Also** **: Thank you for the reviews of the previous chapter! I'm so happy when I see that people are still reading my story. You can always leave a comment or PM me. I don't know that many fannibals so I'm happy to talk to you!**


	24. Chapter 24

Will felt the water filling up his lungs. _This is it. This is the moment I will die._

Cold. The water was so cold. He couldn't feel the other bleeding wounds anymore. It was something. He had killed and now he was returning himself to death. Afraid of he had become, what he would become. _This is all I ever wanted for you Will._

 _Can't live with him, can't live without him. Bedelia was right. His life had zero meaning without Hannibal in it. But this, his becoming, was so wrong on so many levels._

* * *

"We're looking for someone with a criminal background," Dr. Chilton spoke softly to Kade Purnell, who was standing next to him. The pair had arrived a few hours earlier in Memphis, Tennessee. Kade was not in the mood to shut him up. She knew Senator Martin could end the FBI's reputation in the senate if her daughter would die. Jack would pay for this last mistake.

"I hope he gives us what he needs. He's known for his mind games, doesn't he?" Kade silenced him. Dr. Chilton's eyes narrowed but he remained silent.

"Or we should get his former playtoy here, Will Graham," Kade said to her husband Paul, who was standing on her other side. He scoffed.

"Would be a lovely reunion," Krendler remarked.

"Where is she though?" Kade asked. Senator Martin was late, not a good trait for a politician.

"Heard Martin is quite the hysterical bitch," her husband replied with a smirk on his face. Kade gave him a look before she sighed and stared at the black car that appeared in the horizon.

A familiar face stepped out of the car. Ruth Martin looked tired, all the layers of make-up couldn't hide the bags under her eyes or the red eyes from crying. She was wearing a purple jacket with a matching robe. The clicking of her heels echoed through the building.

Ruth shook Kade Purnell's hand.

"Senator Martin before you try to offer him something personal, I suggest you make a quick conversation with my husb-…" Kade began.

"I'm already informed," Martin cut her off.

"I hope not only by Dr. Chilton," she said.

"What about the trainee? What did she get out of him?" Martin asked her as the kept walking. Dr Chilton and Krendler did the same thing after Martin gave them a short nod of recognition.

"He's just given her some riddles. We know he's a white, male in his late 30's. A homosexual, we think. Violent history, so easier to catch," Kade Purnell spoke.

Ruth Martin stopped, causing the other walking behind her to do so.

"Then why haven't you caught him already," Senator Martin hissed. Kade forced herself to a small smile.

After an awkward moment of silence, Dr. Chilton cleared his throat.

"I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Hannibal Lecter," he spoke before opening the door.

* * *

So many. There were so many of them. Clarice hadn't expected that. Some transgenders have been exposed to great acts of violence. Mostly as victims. She wondered and wondered if she was that stupid. She was missing something. Clarice replayed the conversations with Dr. Lecter inside her head. Over and over. She knew them by now. What had she missed. Details. Anagrams. She felt Dr. Lecter's smile in her head, mocking her.

Will was sitting on the other chair, checking a few FBI data bases that she had no access to. Sometimes he had found something potential alarming but then he decided that wasn't the right guy. Minor offences. No, something wouldn't cause someone to become that violent. Clarice and Will both knew they had to dig into the killer's childhood. A serial killer doesn't get made in a day. Sexual preferences aren't written on someone's head. In the 21st century people were still afraid of coming out of the closet. In a world full of social media, they were looking for a guy who probably hadn't much profiles on the internet.

Clarice guessed he was openly gay. Frustrated with the refusal of the sex change application. There were so many hospitals that are specialised in sex change surgeries. Which was something that made him more difficult to catch. More people were declined that Will and Clarice guessed. He had to admit it, they were looking for a needle in a hay stag. Buffalo Bill was thorough, no hair, no fingerprints and not even a fingerprint on the bullets.

Clarice started to get agitated, Will could sense it on her. Every minute Catherine Martin was closer to her death.

 _Dr. Lecter help me._

"This isn't going to work," she sighed. Will got up and sat next to her.

"We can sit here all night, trying to analyse this. We'll just need to… you know. Go over there. I can't think here," she spoke to Will.

"You want to go to Tennessee?" Will suggested.

Revisiting Hannibal Lecter was foolish. Jack would never allow it. Ruth Martin would kill her. And Dr Lecter wouldn't cooperate. He had already given her enough clues to catch Buffalo Bill. He would only mock her.

"Catherine's house," Clarice spoke. Will remained silent. This could be a good idea or a horrible. He rather stayed at home with her. Walk the dogs, watch television and have Clarice wrapped up against his chest. No Buffalo Bill. No FBI.

"You're the empath, Will. We're overseeing something. Dr. Lecter is going to lie to Senator Martin and pretend that Catherine has a chance. Don't you see, we're her last chance," Clarice said.

"What makes you think you can trust Hannibal, Clarice?" Will mused darkly.

 _He likes me_. Clarice thought.

"He tolerates my presence," Clarice said. Will rolled his eyes.

"Or is it because I look like Abigail Hobbs? Just as I resemble Miriam Lass." Clarice said while she slammed the door. Will's heart skipped a beat when he head Clarice say her name. The same old feeling of guilt spreading over his whole body. Somehow Catherine was another Abigail. Just as every young woman was another personalisation of her.

Will stood up, grabbed his coat and nodded at Luna before joining Clarice in the car. She was busy putting all kinds of equipment in the trunk. She ignored Will but couldn't help but smile when he got in the driver's seat.

"Thank you," she said when she crawled on the passengers' seat. He hummed when she stroke his leg with her hand.

"What do you expect to find in Tennessee?" Will asked her.

"A last chance to save Catherine," Clarice replied, hoping that Will didn't hear the tremble in her voice. Catherine's house wouldn't give her all the answers she needed. Hannibal would. And Will knew her true intentions. He didn't say it out loud because he remembered all the times he had gone against the law in his life.

* * *

 **About this chapter - notes:**

 **\- Sorry that I don't update as often as I used to. This story will be updated more frequently fom now on. I still read PM's and reviews so you can still contact me if you want to.**

 **\- I'm also reading other's people work on this site and AO3. Suggestions are welcome!**

 **\- It's a short chapter sorry! I tried to make some connections to the book/movie for later on.**

 **\- My grammar is still shitty, I apologise.**

 **\- What do you think that happened after the cliffhanger (more like cliffjumper, right?) from s3? I like to read more fan theories after what happened after our lovely duo ended up in the water...**

 **Also** **: Thank you for the reviews of the previous chapter! I'm so happy when I see that people are still reading my story.**

 **You can always leave a comment or PM me. I don't know that many fannibals so I'm happy to talk to you!**


	25. Chapter 25

"Dr. Lecter, my name is Ruth Martin. I'm Catherine Martin's mother." The well-dressed woman approached him without hesitation. Hannibal was tied up, he couldn't even move. His maroon eyes didn't even blink. Mrs. Martin didn't know if he was smiling or not. His dazzling eyes had some kind of spark, some form of excitement in them.

"I know that you know who kidnapped my little girl. I would do everything to have her safely home with me. I will do everything to get her back," her voice was more fragile. Hannibal sighed innerly.

"Dr. Lecter, I've brought an affidavit guaranteeing your new rights... You'll want to read it before I sign" she continued. Ruth Martin unsnapped her briefcase.

"I won't waste your time and Catherine's time bargaining for petty privileges. Clarice Starling, Will Graham and that awful Jack Crawford have wasted far too much already. I only pray they haven't doomed my poor girl... Let me help you now, and I'll trust you when it's all over…" she didn't finish but Hannibal gave a little nod. He liked the fact that she was more than desperate.

Krendler came closer and raised a pad, poised to take notes. Dr. Chilton removed his mouth piece so he could speak freely.

"Buffalo Bill's real name is William Rubin. I met him just once. He was referred to me in April or May, 2009, by my patient Benjamin Raspail. They were lovers, but Raspail had become very frightened. Apparently Rubin had murdered a transient, and 'done' things with the skin. He thought if I could cure Billy, then Billy'd be safe from the police, and he would be safe from Billy... Obviously, he was wrong," Hannibal spoke. Senator Martin listened attentively.

"We need his address, a physical descr-," Paul Krendler began.

"Did you nurse Catherine, Senator?" Hannibal's smiled politely.

Senator Martin paused, confused for a moment

"What...?" she tried to see how this was relevant to Buffalo Bill.

"Did you breast-feed her?" he asked while he flicked his tongue obscenely.

Paul Krendler took a step forward, "You son-of-a –"

The Senator silenced him with a hand. She is trembling.

"Yes... I did," she confessed.

"Toughened your nipples, didn't it...?" Hannibal Lecter spoke.

"YOU-" Krendler became furious while Martin's face became blank.

"Six foot one, strongly built, about 190 pounds. Hair brown, eyes pale blue. He'd be about 35 now. He said he lived in Philadelphia, but may have lied. That's really all I can remember, Senator - but if I think of any more, I'll let you know," he winked at her.

"Let's go with it," she commanded to the others. Dr. Chilton shuffled nervously behind Dr. Lecter, not sure if he should put the mouthpiece on before Hannibal could insult her more.

She started walking towards the car but Hannibal calls her out which made her stop and turn around.

"Senator Martin...! You can't trust Jack Crawford or Will Graham. Or Clarice Starling," Hannibal paused a bit at the thought of Clarice Starling.

He could see her waiting in her room of his mind palace. Beautiful dressed in a blue dress, hair up. In his mind, she was looking at a Michelangelo painting that he had studied so many times in Florence. Hannibal could get close to her, without her knowledge. He could almost smell her, touch her, taste her. Strange feeling. He wondered how many more interesting conversations he could have with her. About her past, her relationship with Will and so much more. He swallowed hard.

"It's such a game with these people. They're determined to get the arrest for themselves."

"Thank you, Doctor. I'll keep it in mind," the Senator faced away and walked away.

"Oh, and Senator...? Love your suit, it shows that you have a marvellous taste in fashion," he spoke. Dr. Chilton decided he was done so he put on the mask again.

Dr. Lecter returned to the room with the name of Clarice Starling on the name tag. The fireplace was burning, which reflected in Clarice's eyes. Hannibal smiled as he approached the young woman from behind. He could see her muscles though the partially open back of her dress. He put his right hand on her back which caused her to turn around.

This Starling was different, she looked less stressed and had a genuine smile on her lips. He handed her a glass of red wine. She thanked him and leaned in to his touch, something he didn't expect. _Will, you lucky man_ , Hannibal thought.

"So what happens next?" she asked while she took a sip from her glass. "You probably die," he stroke her check gently, like she was made out of porcelain and could easily break in his hand. Hannibal's stomach was turning at the thought of Clarice Starling dead, choking on her own blood on the ground. With Will sobbing while he was holding her lifeless body in his arms. _No, he certainly not wanted her to die._

* * *

In the real world, Clarice Starling was more alive than ever. Tennessee was a long way from home, it seemed like a whole different world for Clarice. Catherine Martin lived in a up class apartment. She was so different from Fredericka Bimmel, the girl from Ohio. Bimmel's family was also well-healed but they were discrete. Unlike, Catherine Martin who seemed to be living the 'rich bitch' life. Clarice googled her; expensive gifts, wild parties. Clarice despised this life style, but offcourse she didn't deserve to be butchered by a madman.

Her apartment was full of her personal belongings, from expensive clothes to childish bobbleheads. She had an expensive taste in clothing that her mother probably paid with a genuine smile, Clarice guessed.

Catherine's house had been searched before, an agent let them pass when they saw their credentials. The cat was watching them from a distance, which caused Will to walk around it with a great bow.

"Not a fan of cats?" Clarice asked.

"Not really. They're sneaky," Will replied.

"You rather use dogs to lure women into conversation, right?" she smirked.

"Not all women, only the ones I really like," he smiled softly. This wasn't the place nor the time to make flirty jokes. He'd get back to that later. Clarice was too driven to be caught off guard.

Clarice looked out of her bedroom window to the now-abandoned parking lot. She tried to see it before her, her getting overwhelmed by Buffalo Bill. Clarice thoughts about Hannibal Lecter got in the way. She closed her eyes to think.

Will was watching her think. He didn't want to empathise with the crime scene and have some weird episode. Not again. He had learned to know Clarice's silhouette quite good the last couple days. He could recognise it in the dark.

Will blinked. The room was turning again.

 _And again._

He was laying on his back in a bed, feeling like he was flayed alive. His face felt numb. When he tried to touch it, he felt nothing. He was feeling dizzy, his sight was blurred. The dried of mixture of blood and dirt under his fingernail wasn't washed off yet. He saw the bandages on his arms, felt the stiches keeping the torn open flesh together. The painkillers made it hard to remember why he was here and what had happened to him. He couldn't move his body without screaming out. He felt like he had been stabbed multiple times.

His breathing got heavier as he remembered flashes of the fall.

He had pushed Hannibal off the cliff and followed him into the darkness.

Cold, cold water. It was everywhere.

Hannibal.

Will closed his eyes as he thought of his sins, this had been his ultimate betrayal. Of the FBI, Jack and more importantly himself. Was this reason? Or was it madness? Was this real? An act of insanity? Was he in love with Hannibal? _Yes, he was. Maybe he had always been in love with Hannibal Lecter._

When he reopened his eyes, the man himself was sitting in front of him. He smiled at him, even though he had been wounded himself. His upper lip was cut, the rest of his left cheek was bruised. But still Hannibal was in a far better medical condition than Will was.

"Hanniba-a-l," Will's voice was hoarse. Hannibal got closer to him to study him. Will was obviously still high on the medication he had given him a few hours before.

He'd seen patients mumble some weird things when they were on this high dose but he had never expected these two words to come from Will Graham's lips.

"Kiss me?" Will asked.

Hannibal looked at him in awe. His William was accepting his true nature after all they had been trough. Hannibal had forgiven him for pushing themselves of the cliff.

Hannibal leaned in and reached out for the other man's lips to satisfy his wish. After all, Will wouldn't remember this moment after all.

It was a soft, comforting kiss. Hannibal noticed how warm Will's lips were from his fever. Both of them had longed enough for the other. Will's lips were curled in a satisfied smile. Before he closed his eyes once again and fell asleep.

If Will had stayed awake, he would have seen the tears streaming down Hannibal's face. He thought of Achilles and Patroclus as he stroked Will's brown hair.

* * *

 **About this chapter - notes:**

 **\- Yay, an early update because I have lots of free time to write more chapters!**

 **\- I'm reading other's people work on this site and AO3. Suggestions are still welcome!**

 **\- The first part of this chapter is from the movie/book. And Yes, Hannibal doesn't want Clarice to die.**

 **\- The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus looks a lot like the relationship between Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham. Its exact nature has been a subject of dispute in both the past and modern times. Their relationship was descreibed as deep and meaningful,** **, where Achilles is tender toward Patroclus but callous and arrogant toward others.**

 **\- My grammar is still shitty, I apologise.**

 **\- YES! Finally, a hannigram kiss! I know it's not a great scene. Sorry!**

 **Also** **: Thank you for the reviews! I'm so happy when I see that people are still reading my story.**

 **You can always leave a comment or PM me. I don't know that many fannibals so I'm happy to talk to you!**


	26. Chapter 26

"Will?" he heard her call his name. The warmth of her voice made him come back to reality.

 _Hannibal. Hannibal._ The echoes inside his head faded.

He found Clarice in Catherine's bedroom, upstairs. It was way too pink for his taste. Or anyone's taste. One wall was covered with pictures of Catherine with her boyfriend and various friends. Clarice was holding an old, pink music box in her hands.

"Look what I found," she put the box down and pointed at some old polaroid's on the wooden desk.

There were three of them. Catherine was shown there, upfront and nude in some kind of SM pose. In the second there was a penis shown close to Catherine's head. The third was a picture of Catherine's and the unknown man's full naked body in full action.

Clarice raised an eyebrow and waited for his response.

"They were inside the music box, behind a small fake wall. I used to have one of these when I was younger," she said. Will looked at her.

"Without those kinds of pictures, offcourse," Clarice added quickly.

"Maybe Zeller was right after all," Will said, referring to the fact that she might have liked to be tied up.

"Not really relevant for the case but- ya know," Clarice spoke, her accent thicker than normal.

Clarice took a plastic evidence bag out of her pocket.

"For Jack?" she asked. Will nodded.

"Can't believe the FBI didn't found these", Will mumbled.

"What on earth are you doing in my daughters room?" a furious voice asked aghast.

Clarice was speechless.

Ruth Martin, looking like she was about to murder them with her bare hands, was standing in the door frame of her daughters room.

"Mrs. Martin. We are FBI special agents Will Graham and Clari-" Clarice began.

"I WANT THE TWO OF YOU OUT OF MY DAMN HOUSE," Ruth exclaimed.

"What's going on here?" a male voice came from behind Senator Martin. It was Paul Krendler's, FBI director Purnell's husband and even a bigger tiran than his wife.

The older woman recalled Hannibal Lecter's words very clearly.

" _You can't trust Jack Crawford or Will Graham. Or Clarice Starling."_

Paul Krendler had followed Ruth's screaming to find Will Graham and the trainee that met the description of Clarice Starling that was given to him. Paul thought she was quite pretty, maybe that's how she got into the FBI.

"This is a crime scene, not a damn amusement park. What are you doing here?" Paul Krendler spoke.

Clarice put the bag in her pocket. Not fast enough, Martin saw it.

"What was that?" her voice sounded angrier than ever before.

"We found something," Clarice added quickly.

She showed them the plastic bag with the pornographic pictures.

Ruth's face turned white as stone.

"GIVE ME THAT, THIEF" she ordered.

Clarice handed her the photographs, Krendler snatched them out of her hand. Krendler raised an eyebrow upon watching the pornographic evidence.

Ruth inhaled deeply and looked as if she was about to throw up.

Will used that moment of confusion to reach out to Clarice and softly touch her shoulder. He meant to sooth her and whispered, "it will be fine". She shook her head softly.

Will took a step forward.

"We need to send this to the Behavi-" Will began.

"These pictures," Ruth held them up, as if she wanted to be as far away as they could, "are not going anywhere."

"Senator, I-" Clarice began.

"Especially not Jack Crawfords' unit," Krendler closed the gap between Clarice and himself. He was standing right in front of her.

Senator Martin's phone rang. She answered it immediately.

"Have they tracked William Rubin?" she hissed. Will followed her conversation with great focus.

"The police has already searched this room. They found those pictures and were wise enough to put them back where they found them," he said. Paul Krendler looked like an asshole with a dirty, badly shaved beard, Clarice thought. If he hadn't worn an expensive suit, he could easily be mistaken for a drug addict. Clarice could smell his breath, a mix of coffee and cigarettes.

"Give me your badge, Starling," he ordered. Clarice gave it to him.

"That's some clever detective work," Krendler said. Clarice knew he wanted to get a reaction from her so she just stared at him.

"Quantico delivers some good detective dogs," he continued.

"And no thieves," Clarice added.

"I know that," he replied.

"You don't say," Clarice looked him in the eye.

"Stop it," he ordered.

Will put her hand on her shoulder before they would start fighting. Clarice took a step back, avoiding the confrontation. Clarice kept staring in Krendler's dead eyes.

"Who's William Rubin?" Will asked to break the tension.

"Lecter gave us a name," Krendler said proudly. _You're wrong. He's playing with you._

"Do you believe him?" Clarice scoffed, trying to hide that little feeling of jealousy. She had all the pieces of the puzzle inside her hands, she only needed to put them in the right order.

"We have no choice since Jack Crawford's dream team screwed things up. He knows you lied, Ms. Starling. There will be consequences for you and the rest of the BSU."

Krendler turned to Clarice, "You're not off to a great start, Starling. I want you back in Quantico tomorrow 9 AM. I'll check if you are there. If not, you can start packing your suitcase," he said with joy in his eyes.

"Yes, sir" she obeyed. _You can go fuck yourself._

* * *

"HE WHAT?" Ardelia bounced on the bed.

It was 7 AM when Clarice had finally got home in her dorm. Two hours before Krendler's deadline.

Ardelia nearly sat on her lap to get Clarice to tell her everything. From Lecter's words to Krendler threats to kick her from school.

"YES," Clarice copied her best friend, "and that's why I'm here. He said 9 AM."

"I'm glad you're home though. Thought you had run of with Graham," Dee said, giving her 'the' look when she named Will.

Clarice cheeks went red.

"This would be so romantic if it didn't involve a serial killer," Ardelia said. Clarice rolled her eyes and thought about Hannibal Lecter. Then her thoughts slipped to Jack Crawford, looking for the wrong guy.

"I need to think. I have everything but it just needs to… connect," Clarice spoke.

"Seems like you connected with Lecter's bestie, so can't you 'share' the connecti-" Ardelia's sassy comments were cut off by a pillow thrown at her face.

"Thanks for the very useful comments, Sherlock Holmes. Are you gonna help me think or what?" Clarice said.

She checked her phone, no missed calls. Clarice had tried to call Jack for the last 10 hours.

No response. She wanted to tell him about what happened with Krendler and more important, that Hannibal Lecter was lying to Mrs. Martin.

* * *

Will was tired. Tired of driving. The lack of sleep. The lack of nice thoughts. He needed to get some rest before the next body would be found. Than this crisis would start all over again.

The empath could see _him_. Not Hannibal, but him. He wants to become what he desires the most. Buffalo Bill wanted to change what mother nature had not granted him with. He would not stop before his masterpiece had finished.. and maybe he's never stop.

Shoot. Skin. Sew. Repeat.

Will shook off the horrible feeling, hoping it would no haunt him in the dark. The night with Clarice next to him, was the most peaceful night he has had in years. Ever since… _him_.

He hadn't seen him, only glances of what Will imagined him to look like. Long blonde hair. Long eyelashes. Female facial features. Tall. Jack would never catch him without his or Hannibal's help.

He shared Clarice's anger over the fact that the Buffalo Bill case had got more media attention just because the daughter of a Senator was kidnapped.

Clarice. He couldn't explain it how he felt around her.

Somehow her sudden absence had struck him harder than expected. He felt alone.

Will pulled the sheets over him and hoped he'd drift away soon.

 _Will found himself in a familiar space. Some place he hadn't been for a long time. As well as in his dreams as in real life. The light was dim. There was classical music playing in the background. Will found himself in one of the larger leather chairs._

" _Will" he heard Hannibal's voice echo trough the huge cabinet. He was sitting in the chair on the opposite side of where Will was sitting._

 _Hannibal was dressed flawless as ever, a skill that even he, after all their time together, hadn't mastered. Will couldn't help but smile a little about how bittersweet this reunion in his mind felt._

" _Back in the field, I heard, helping Jack and his new little bird," Hannibal said without any expression._

" _No," Will spoke while shaking his head. His body felt heavy, unable to move. He was stuck here. The man could not reach out to him._

" _Yes, you are. You're obstructing the law by not telling what you know and by bedding the trainee. You're ruining her focus on the Buffalo Bill case," Hannibal's jaw clenched a bit at the end of his sentence and avoided eye contact._

 _Was this... jealousy? Will thought about it for a bit._

" _I can't give Jack what he wants," Will mumbled._

 _Jack had been his friend, boss and his own devil. Pushing him into a bottomless well of misery. Over and over._

" _Because Jack didn't give us what we wanted?"_ _Hannibal asked._

 _Peace._

 _To be left alone._

 _Let us start over._

 _The memories came back in flashes._

 _A door that was pushed open._

 _Hannibal dragged away from him in handcuffs._

 _Jack making sure Will wouldn't end up in prison._

 _Alana hiding her despite towards him._

" _Compromises" Jack had called it._

" _Yes," Will spat the word our as if it was venom._

" _You know where to find him," Hannibal teased with a smirk, before taking a sip of his glass red wine._

" _Why would I tell them?" Will thought he sounded like a mischievous, younger and darker version of himself._

 _He didn't want to give Jack what he wanted… but innocent girls were dying. The struggle deep inside him continued. His heart wanted to help Clarice and Jack but the head said 'no'._

" _I'm trying to get something out of this," Hannibal said._

 _Will thought about that for a minute. He would never set a single foot out of prison. Jack, Alana and the rest of the FBI would make of that._

 _The rest of his life, Hannibal would be condemned to live in a tiny, dark cell. Will had been there himself once, he knew what Hannibal went through._

" _A way out," Will said. Hannibal smiled._

 _Will didn't know if he should smile or cry to know Hannibal soon would be free again. Dr. Lecter was mad at him for sure, for leaving him behind even though it was against his will. But he did nothing._

 _He would come after Will, maybe after murdering Alana and Clarice first. Clarice didn't deserve this. He could bargain over her life. She could be spared._

 _The view became blurry again. Will gained more control over his body, the room disappeared._

 _His eyes were still fixed on Hannibal, wanting to remember this form._

 _The pre prison Hannibal._

 _The one Will knew._

 _The one Will had loved._

* * *

 **About this chapter - notes:**

 **\- I know I deserve some punches in the face for not updating in ages. But hey, I suddenly got some inspiration so, here I am!**

 **\- Yes, Season 4 will probably happen but only in a few years. I will patiently wait for a new season that will blow everyone's socks off.**

 **\- Argh, my grammar sucks. English is -obviously- not my first language. Can someone help me out?**

 **\- Do you like my -more proper- introduction of Paul Krendler?**

 **- Also: Thank you for the lovely reviews! People are actually reading my sh*t, amazing. **

**You can always comment on this story or PM me. I don't know that many fannibals so I'm happy to talk to you.**


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